Missing Page Missing Page Missing Page Missing Page Missing Page Missing Page Missing Page Missing Page THE GIFT OF .3nm^^A. ^ U:^e^' Report of the Massachusetts state board 3 1924 I lb HOUSE DOCUMENT .... .... No. 500. REPOBT Massachusetts State Boaed of Health Metropolitan Water Supply. Februaky, 1895. BOSTON : WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 18 Post Office Square. 1895. [Chapter 459, Acts of 1893.] AN" ACT relative to procuring a Water Supply for the City of Boston and its Suburbs. Be it enacted, etc., as follows : Section 1. The state board of health is hereby authorized and directed to investigate, consider and report upon the question of a water supply for the city of Boston, and its suburbs within a radius of ten miles from the state house, and for speh other cities and towns as in its opinion should be included in connection therewith. Sect. 2. The said board shall forthwith proceed to investigate and con- sider this subject, including all questions relating to the quantity of water to be obtained from available sources, its quality, the best methods of pro- tecting the purity of the water, the construction, operation and maintenance of works for storing, conveying or purifying the water, the cost of the same, the damages to property, and all other matters pertaining to the subject. Sect. 3. The said board shall have power to employ such engineering and other assistance and to incur such expenses as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of this act. Sect. 4. The said board shall report fully with plans and estimates to the legislature on or before the first Wednesday in January in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five, and shall append to its report drafts of bills intended to accomplish the recommendations of the board. Sect. 5. The total amount of money which shall be expended out of the treasury of the Commonwealth in carrying out the provisions of this act shall not exceed forty thousand dollars. The Commonwealth shall be reimbursed for the amount expended by the cities and towns which are to receive the benefit of the system recommended in the report, in proportion to the population of each. Sect. 6. Before incurring any expense the board shall from time to time estimate the amounts required and shall submit the same to the governor and council for their approval, and no expense shall be incurred beyond the amount so estimated and approved. Sect. 7. This act shall take effect upon its passage. ^Approved June 9, 1893. [Chapter 4, Besolves of 1895.] EESOLVE extending the Time for the Beport of the State Board of Health upon the Subject of a Metropolitan Water Supply, and pro- viding for the Continuance of the Investigation relative thereto. Resolved, That the time allowed for the filing of the report of the state board of health, required by chapter four hundred and fifty-nine of the acts iv METROPOLITAN WATEE SUPPLY. [Feb. '95. of the year eighteen hundred and ninety-three, relative to procuring a water supply for the city of Boston and its suburbs, is hereby extended until the first Wednesday in February in the present year ; and that there be allowed and paid out of tlie treasury of the Commonwealth a sum not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars, to be expended under the direction of the said board in continuing and completing the investigations, plans and report relative thereto, said amount being in addition to the forty thousand dollars provided for in said act, and to be reimbursed to the Commonwealth in the manner therein provided. [Approved February 12, 1895. TABLE or COlS'TEIsrTS. PAGE An act relative to procuring a water supply for the city of Boston and its suburbs, iii Eeport of the State Board of Health, ix Expenditures for metropolitan water supply investigations xxi Metropolitan water act, xxii Eeport of the consulting engineer, xxxiv Report of the chief engineer ; — Introduction, 1 List of cities and towns within ten miles of the State House, ... 3 Towns outside the ten-mile limit considered with reference to including them in the metropolitan district, 5 Consumption of water in the metropolitan district, and capacity of present sources of water supply, 5 Future population and consumption of water in the metropolitan district, . 7 General remarks regarding sources of water supply 8 Present condition of the water supply of the cities and towns in the metropolitan district, and the opportunities for increasing the supply by independent action : — Boston, exclusive of Charlestown district, 14 Charlestown district of Boston, Somerville, Chelsea and Everett, . . 19 Cambridge, 22 Lynn and Saugus, 25 Newton, 33 Maiden 35 Waltham 37 Quincy, 40 Hyde Park and Milton, 41 Wobum, 43 Wakefield and Stoneham, 46 Brookline 49 Medford 51 Revere and Wlnthrop, 53 Melrose, 55 Watertown and Belmont 57 Arlington 58 Winchester ^^ Swampscott and Nahant, . ^* Lexington, °° Outline of proposed plan for taking an additional water supply from the Nashua River, Financial statement, VI TABLE OF CONTENTS. C^eb. Report of the chief engineer — Con. ^- t • t A statement with regard to each city and town In the metropolitan district, as to whether it should enter the metropolitan water district or obtain its supply from independent works Boston „. Somerville, Chelsea and Everett, Cambridge gg I'ynn ■ ■ ■ ' ' 94 Saugus g^ Newton, Maiden, ^^ Waltham, ^ • .... 96 Qiincy, Hyde Park, ^' Milton .97 Woburn, ^^ Wakefield and Stoneham Brookline, . 99 Medford ^^ Eevere and Winthrop ^^^ Melrose ^*"' Watertown and Belmont ^^^ Arlington, ^"'■ Winchester, lO'- f Swampscott and Nahant, 101 Lexington, ^''^ Sources investigated, 102 1. Sources not to be used in connection with the Nashua River : — Merrimack River, 103 Lake Winnipiseogee, New Hampshire 108 Charles River at South Natick Ill Shawsheen River at Old Middlesex Canal crossing, . . . . ^ 113 ' Ipswich River ll* Assawompsett and other ponds in Lakeville, 115 Sebago Lake, Maine, 117 2. Sources which may be used to supplement the supply taken from the Nashua river : — Tributaries of Assabet River, 117 Ware River 118 Swift River, 120 Deerfleld River, 121 Westfleld River 122 Squannacook River and other tributaries of the Nashua, . . . 122 3. Sources which were known to be unworthy of extended investigation, 122 Water supply of cities and towns in and near the Nashua water-shed, . . 123 Detailed description of proposed plan for taking an additional water supply from the Nashua River : — The water-shed and its improvement, 125 Storage reservoir, 127 Main dam 132 Dikes, 134 Removal of soil from reservoir 186 Relocation of railroads and highways, 138 1895.J TABLE OF CONTENTS. vii Report of the chief engineer — Con. page Detailed description of proposed plan for taking an additional water supply from the Nashua River : — Nashua-Sudbury aqueduct, 139 Improvement of the Sudbury River w^ater-shed, 140 Reservoir No. 5 to Chestnut Hill Reservoir 140 Pumping stations, 141 Receiving and distributing reservoirs, 142 Pipe systems, 143 Future aqueduct from Reservoir No. 6 to the metropolitan district, . . 144 Estimates of cost, 145 Summary 147 Appendix No. 1. Growth of population in the Boston metropolitan district, 151 Appendix No. 2. Present and future consumption of water in the metropol- itan district, by Dexter Brackett, C.E., 157 Appendix No. 3. Improvement of the quality of the Sudbury River water by the drainage of the swamps upon the water-shed, by Desmond FitzGerald, C.E., 176 Appendix No. 4. On the amount and character of organic matter in soils and its bearing on the storage of water in reservoirs, by Thomas M. Drown, M.D., 188 Appendix No. 5. Chemical analyses of water ftom the sources investigated, 202 Appendix No. 6. "Water supply of different qualities for different purposes, by Dexter Brackett, C.E., 217 Appendix No. 7. Sanitary examination of Nashua River water-shed, . . 222 Index 225 List op Maps, Plans and Diagrams. 1. A general map showing water-sheds of lakes and rivers investigated as possible sources of water supply for the metropolitan district, . . viil 2. Map showing present and proposed works for supplying water from the Nashua, Sudbury and Cochituate water-sheds to the metropolitan dis- trict xv> 3. Map showing works by which water may be taken from the Assabet, Ware and Swift rivers to supplement the supply from the Nashua, Sudbury and Cochituate water-sheds xx 4. "Water-shed of the Nashua River above Clinton 48 5. "Water-sheds of the Sudbury and Cochituate supplies, .... 64 6. Map showing proposed works for distributing water in the metropolitan district, : ^* 7. Plan of proposed reservoir on the Nashua River, 128 8. Plan and sections of masonry dam and gate houses at the proposed Nashua Reservoir, 1^^ 9. Comparative sections of masonry dams 134 10. Cross-sections of the proposed Nashua-Sudbury aqueduct, . . .138 11. Growth of population of the Boston metropolitan district compared with that of other large centres of population, 152 12. Plan of drainage of swamps above Basin IV. of the Boston waterworks, 179 13. Plan of drainage of Cedar Swamp, Boston water works, .... 185 14. System of piping for supplying water of inferior quality to the metro- Dolitan district for mechanical, manufacturing and other similar pur- •^ 220 poses X EEPOET OF THE BOAKD. [Feb. aspects of the problem are also treated by . him in an instructive manner. J. P. Davis, C.E., who has been for a series of years entirely familiar with all the great municipal works for water and sewerage of the metropolitan district, has made a careful examination of the work of our engineer, and finds it to be well considered and trust- worthy. Mr. Davis was for many years city engineer of Boston, and in this capacity designed and had charge of the construction of the works for taking water from the Sudbury River. He has also been consulting engineer to the Aqueduct Commission of the city of New York, and was one of the experts consulted as to the pro- posed Quaker Bridge Dam. Dexter Brackett, C.E., has embodied in two appendices the re- sults of observations and studies to which he has devoted many years. Another appendix, numbered 3, contains a description by Des- mond FitzGerald, C.E., of plans for the draining of swamps, which are now under consideration for the improvement of the Sudbury water-shed. Dr. Drown's paper upon the influence exercised by organic matter in the soil of reservoirs upon the water stored therein has so much that bears upon the recommendations of this report that we again publish it in Appendix 4. All the special information that may be found necessary to explain or support the compressed conclusions of our own report will be supplied by the valuable reports of the eminent authorities above enumerated. The most familiar experience of this part of the world, at least in the matter of its water supplies, has been the failure of sources originally supposed to be abundant to properly meet the wants of their respective communities for any considerable length of time. The plans of the city of Boston, beginning with its first scheme for a general water supply in the year 1825, have proved no exception to this rule, and yet this city has had the services of the ablest men of their day. The reason for this constant disappointment is easily discovered. The quantity of water which the householder of to-day demands for the conveniences as well as for the necessities of his daily life has increased beyond all expectation. If this enlarged quantity can be secured without undue delay and without such injury as may easily 1895. J HOUSE — No. 500. xi be made whole, it is evidently for the general welfare that such provision should be made ; for it seems to us reasonable to claim that no small share in the improved and still improving state of the public health may be traced to the measures now adopted for the protection of the purity of waters and to the greater cleanliness of person, clothing and all surroundings which inevitably result from a practically unlimited freedom in the use of water. It is essential, then, to determine, if possible, the amount of water needed at the present day, with such forecast as to future requirements as can be safely made. It is, of course, true that a compa'ratively small amount of pure water would meet all the demands for drinking and cooking, and that a water of inferior quality would answer for other domestic purposes as well as for all municipal requirements and the demands of manu- factures ; but no satisfactory arrangement has as yet been made by which two kinds of water can be economically and safely distributed through the streets and buildings of cities and towns. It was discovered by this Board, some years since, that no incon- siderable pertion of the cases of typhoid fever found in certain manu- facturing towns in this State was the result of the careless drinking of a dangerous water, which is used in the mills for mechanical purposes only, is understood to be dangerous and is distinct^ so marked ; but this inferior water was still used by the operatives, because it was sometimes cooler, was tasteless, and generally more accessible. The Board has hoped that it might be possible to devise some plan by which the very limited amount of quite pure water really needed in our houses might be secured and distributed ; but no satisfactory method has as yet suggested itself, nor with the present outlook for an abundant supply of very good water does such a plan seem to be an urgent need either on grounds of health or economy. The average daily consumption of water in the metropolitan dis- trict for the year 1894 was 79,046,000 gallons, the average daily capacity of the sources now in existence for the supply of this dis- trict was only 83,700,000 gallons ; that is to say, the average daily supply is only 4,654,000 gallons in excess of the actual needs. Though some of the sources of supply to the district are capable of yielding larger quantities of water than are at present furnished (as will be shown in detail in the accompanying report of our engineer), we are satisfied that even a very thorough development of all these xii KEPORT OF THE BOARD. [Feb. sources will barely carry the district safely through a year of unusual drought, should such a season occur before the date at which the works, hereafter to be described, can be put in condition to in- crease the supply ; and this would be true even though the cities or towns which might find themselves possessed of a surplus supply could transfer it to their neighbor in want. The population of this metropolitan district was, by the United States census of 1890, 844,814. Estimates which have been care- fully made, and with a due regard to the diminution in rate of in- crease by reason of the depression in business, place the population for the year 1895 at 984,301. The water works of the city of Boston now supply nearly 75 per cent, of all the water used in the metropolitan district. The daily average consumption of those cities and towns receiving water from the Boston works was 99 gallons in 1893, and the average for the entire district now under consideration was, for the same year, 83 gallons. It seems to be generally true that the nearer we approach the centres of population the greater becomes the use of water ; and, with the inevitable growth of Boston and its suburbs, it does not appear to us wise to calculate upon a requirement per inhabitant of less than 100 gallons for the long period of years for which we seek a supply. We have not deemed it necessary or advisable to busy ourselves with the insoluble problem of the probable future increase of popu- lation in and about Boston. We have assumed that the growth will go on as it has gone on during the last quarter of a century ; and for a population determined by such principles we have made provision. While every efi'ort has been made to reconcile the views of the local authorities with our own as to their respective requirements both in regard to quantity and quality of water needed and their capacity to meet such demands, the Board has in several cases ar- rived at results quite different from those held by these authorities. It is assumed that no portion of this large and intimately associated community will accept for any length of time a water inferior to that enjoyed by their neighbors, either in healthful qualities or attractive appearance and odor ; and it will not be profitable as a municipal investment to ofier the stranger seeking a new home anything so essential to his health and comfort as water is, that shall be decidedly poorer than the article distributed on the other side of the town's borders. It has, therefore, been assumed by us that the various communities under consideration will take, sooner or later, the better water, pro- 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. xiu vided that the cost of taking it is not in excess or greatly in excess of that of an existing and inferior supply. It will also be found to be true, we think, that a very large amount of the best water can be provided for the district at a price per head far below that at which any municipality within the district, with the exception probably of Brookline, Newton and Waltham, can sup- ply a water of anything like an equal quality. Moreover, in our opinion, the most tavored locality in this region has no prospect of obtaining beyond the next twenty or twenty-five years any source of supply that can be favorably compared, either on grounds of health or economy, with the source to be later described. It is by no means certain that Waltham, even with its present abundant and good supply, can continue to depend through a series of years upon water filtered uninterruptedly in ever-increasing quantities from a river more or less polluted. Of the communities composing the metropolitan district, those using 80 per cent, of the full amount of water will need the metro- politan supply nearly as soon as it can be furnished. It is probably possible for those using 10 per cent, of the full amount to extend their works so that they may give them a supply for twenty or twenty-five years, and the remaining 10 per cent, will need the metropolitan supply within a shorter time. The works of distribution have been so designed that the first cost will be increased as little as practicable, and that they may be in condition to supply these communities when they shall need the water, by additions to the works first constructed ; but some expense must necessarily be incurred at first, on account of the prospective use by these communities. For the purpose of determining which cities and towns should be included in the district to be formed, a careful review has been undertaken of all the facts within our reach which have a bearing upon this question, — facts which will be found duly stated in the subjoined report of the engineer, Mr. Stearns ; and we accordingly recommend that the cities of Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Maiden, Medford, Newton, Quincy, Somerville, Waltham and Woburn, and the towns of Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, Hyde Park, Lexington, Melrose, Milton, Nahant, Eevere, Saugus, Stone- ham, Swampscott, Wakefield, Watertown, Winchester and Winthrop, twenty-eight cities and towns, containing, in 1890, 848,012 inhabi- tants, constitute the metropolitan water district. xiv EEPORT OF THE BOARD. [Feb. Inasmuch as the cities of Cambridge, Lynn, Newton, Waltham and Woburn, and the towns of Brookline, Lexington, Nahant, Saugus, Swampscott and Winchester, together containing, in 1890, 210,252 inhabitants, believe that they have a sufficient supply for some years to come, we do not recommend that they be provided with water from the metropolitan supply until they formally express their wish for it. These municipalities contained about one-fourth of all the people living in the proposed district in the year 1890. We have no hesitation in recording our own belief that the period at which this supply will be demanded by them is much nearer than they now anticipate ; but their participation in the scheme is not essential to the success of the undertaking, nor will their absence render the immediate procuring of a new water supply any the less necessary. After a thorough revision of all the sources of water which have been suggested or which we could discover, we selected three which seemed worthy of critical examination, — Lake Winnipiseogee in New Hampshire, the Merrimack River above Lowell and the Nashua River above Clinton. Lake Winnipiseogee has for many years been held to be the ideal of all that was needed in the way of a perfect source of pure water, and it is capable of furnishing an abundant and excellent supply. The clear depths of its waters and the apparent freedom fi-om pollu- tion along its shores, unlike many of the artificial reservoirs hitherto constructed, have created so strong a popular belief in its necessary superiority to anything artificial that it may not be out of place to direct attention for a moment to some of the defects to be found even here. The permanent population on the territory draining to the lake is not large, —35 persons per square mile; but the attrac- tive shores have beftome the favorite summer camping-ground of thousands, and the amount of the most serious forms of pollution directly entering the water of the lake must be large and ever-grow- ing. Even though the State of New Hampshire might allow a cer- tain amount of water to be taken from this lake for domestic water supply within her own limits, it is not probable that she would con- sent to the withdrawal of amounts of water so large as to iniure her own manufacturing industries, or to give to the people of another State any authority to interfere by police regulations with the un- hampered enjoyment by her own citizens of her beautiful pleasure- grounds. 1895. J HOUSE— No. 500. XV The expense, however, of constructing a conduit over the shortest and best route which it has been possible to discover, and for dis- tributing this water through the district, amounts to 134,000,000. This large sum does not include the cost of the damages inflicted by the diversion of water and charges incident thereto ; and we are con- fident that the water thus obtained would have no greater value than supplies which can be obtained at much smaller cost within the limits of this State and protected by our own laws. Examinations have also been made with the view of taking the water of the Merrimack Eiver above Lowell, subjecting it to efficient filtration and bringing it down into the metropolitan district. The quantity of water that could be obtained in this way and for this pur- pose is unlimited ; and, if there were no way of obtaining a better supply of water and one which was above suspicion, it would be practicable to introduce water from that source at a cost 'somewhat less than from any other source considered. The estimated cost of filtering and conveying this water to the metropolitan district is $17,500,000; but in the opinion of the Board it will be better to pay 10 per cent, more for a supply from a source that has not been polluted. The experiments carried on by this Board for a succession of years at an experiment station in Lawrence under the immediate direction of H. F. Mills, C.E., a member of this Board, and the filter constructed in connection with the water works of that city, have shown that waters as polluted as those of the Merrimack can be efiectually filtered and rendered safe for domestic use ; but it is also true that filtering areas require continuous care on the part of well-trained attendants, and that, in a few instances at least, inefficient administration or inherent defects of construction have allowed disease germs to pass thi-ough filters which were assumed, by good authority, to be a sufficient protec- tion. "We are the more easily led to reject the filtered waters of the polluted Merrimack because we have found an entirely satisfactory water in the South Branch of the Nashua River above the city of Clinton. We find that the conduit of the Boston water works was built of much larger capacity than was needed for the conveyance of the amount of water to be derived from the Sudbury Eiver, being capable of taking 50,000,000 gallons a day more than is at present supplied to it. The territory from which an additional supply for this district may be sought is thus moved out to the westerly end xvi EEPOKT OF THE BOARD. [Feb. of this conduit, or to the westerly end of the valley and reservoir connected with this conduit. The first source of considerable size found to the west of this point is the above-named South Branch of the Nashua, which, at the city of Clinton, has a water-shed of 118.23 square miles, consisting of a sparsely settled district containing but 69 persons to the square mile. The southerly and easterly slopes of Wachusett Mountain which bound this territory to the north and west are not well adapted to agi'iculture, and offer few inducements to the establish- ment of manufactures. In this section the rate of increase of popu- lation has been very slight, and the distance from centres of population is such that no more rapid rate of growth can be expected in the future. In this river, a short distance above the Lancaster Mills in Clin- ton, a dam can be built which will raise the water 107 feet above the surface of the existing mill-pond, and flowing to the average depth of 46 feet an area of 63^ square miles, with its high-water mark 385 feet above the level of high tide in Boston harbor. This reser- voir will have a capacity of 63,000,000,000 gallons, and the terri- tory draining into it will supply, in a series of very dry years, 111,000,000 gallons of water daily, which, with the 62,000,000 gallons obtainable from the Sudbury and Cochituate water-sheds, will make the total capacity of the combined sources 173,000,000 gallons, which is double the capacity of all the sources now utilized by the metropolitan district. The reservoir can be connected with the new Eeservoir No. 5 now constructing by the city of Boston in the Sudbury River system. The connection would be made by an aqueduct a little less than 9 miles long, and an open channel about 3 miles long following the course of an existing brook. This aqueduct is designed to be built low enough to take water from the level of the present mill-pond in Clinton ; so that, should it become necessary to increase the supply to the metropolitan district before the dam and reservoir are com- pleted, the ordinary flow of the river could be brought down into the Sudbury system as soon as the aqueduct is built. The very great merit of the plan now submitted is to be found in the fact that this extension of the chain of the metropolitan water supplies to the valley of the Nashua will settle forever the future water policy of the district, for a comparatively inexpensive conduit can be constructed through to the valley of the Ware River, and 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. xvii beyond the Ware River lies the valley of the Swift ; and, in a future so far distant that we do not venture to give a date to it, are portions of the Westfield and Deerfield rivers, capable, when united, of fur- nishing a supply of the best water for a municipality larger than any now found in the world. The expense of this great scheme is comparatively moderate, because the water-sheds in question are sparsely settled, lie among the higher regions of the State, and are not likely to become the seat of manufacturing industries. Moreover, all these streams can be brought down by their own natural flow from appropriate reservoirs to the existing distributing basins in the metropolitan district. The water in the South Branch of the Nashua Eiver is at present of good quality, and, with the small population upon its drainage area, it will not be difficult to protect it from impurities in the future ; but, in the opinion of the Board, the large reservoir to be constructed will serve as a means of very much improving the quality of the water ; its area and depth are so great that it will contain, at nearly all stages at which it is proposed to hold the water, a full year's supply when double the quantity now used in the metropolitan district is drawn from it and the Sudbury and Cochituate areas. During the long period through which water remains in this reservoir a bleaching and purifying process will go on, which will probably cause the death of all the disease germs which may be turned into it from contributing streams, and the water thus become more agreea- ble to the sight and taste, and be, in fact, more wholesome than the present water from any of its contributing streams. In order that this may be the case, the Board has thought best to increase the depth of the reservoir by raising the dam, and to remove from its area the vegetable matter and soil which may cover it, and thus expend about $4,000,000 in rendering the water of the best quality practicable. So many advantages are ofifered by larger storage reservoirs, as compared with the smaller basins, which local geographical peculiar- ities have compelled the metropolitan district to build hitherto, that it has seemed advisable to us to urge the completest possible prepa- ration of this new reservoir. After this new water has been brought into the Sudbury system, it will pass down into Chestnut Hill Eeservoir, where it will for the first time require to be pumped to an elevation of 30 feet, sufficient to give an additional head to the Boston low-service system and to xviii REPORT OF THE BOARD. [Feb. carry over to Spot Pond the supply needed for the northerly portion of the metropolitan district. In our estimates of cost a sum of money has been set aside for the improvement of Spot Pond, principally for removing its shallow flowage, and we believe it will then be a valuable distributing reservoir and restored to its normal height. It is estimated that no other conduit will be required in addition to the present one from Sudbury River to Chestnut Hill Reservoir for ten or more years ; but before the end of this period it will be necessary to build an additional conduit, extending from Reservoir No. 5 of the Boston water works to a point in the town of Weston not far from the Charles River, at such a height that the water may be conveyed in pipes to Spot Pond, and be distributed through the low-service system in the metropolitan district by gravity. This aqueduct will be 13^ miles long, and is designed to convey 250,000,000 gallons of water per day. Spot Pond is selected for a general distributing reservoir in order that the low-service district may have a pressure 30 or 40 feet greater than would be supplied by Chestnut Hill Reservoir ; this increased pressure is rendered necessary in order to include large areas in the district which would be inadequately served by the lower reservoir and by the custom of constructing very high buildings upon the low-lying territory. The method of distributing the water over the metropolitan district ' is given in detail in the report of the chief engineer ; it is designed to supply to each community within the district a sufficient quantity of water for its use at a pressure sufficient for all requirements within its territory, and it will be feasible to supply all the highest portions of the district more efficiently than at present from a much smaller number of stations and at a much diminished charge for annual maintenance. In considering the plans for the proposed reservoir above the Lancaster Mills, we have been impressed by the very serious changes which will be produced in the towns of Boylston and West Boylston. It does not appear to us to be a very important objection to our plan that certain mill sites will be 80 feet beneath the surface of the basin, nor that the homes of many industrious people dependent upon these mills for their living will be also submerged, because all these can be paid for, and an equivalent will be given, — damages for which we have caused careful estimates to be made. But we have not deemed it to be within our province to decide upon a plan for making good 1895. J HOUSE — No. 500. XIX the many other losses that must of necessity fall upon these sorely diminished townships, — the burden of a town debt for which much of the available security has been taken away, the loss of a near mar- ket for the farmer upon the outskirts of the town, and the many other losses which will naturally suggest themselves. We can only state that we recognize the existence of these losses, that we believe some form of compensation should be granted, and that the benefit to the metropolitan district by reason of a pure water supply in abundant quantity will be so great that this district, which contains more than half the taxable property of the State, can afford to pay for all the injury inflicted ; at the same time we must leave the sug- gestion, even, of the nature of the remedy, to the wisdom of your honorable body. The total assessed valuation of West Boylston for 1894 was . . $951,610 Assessed value of property to be taken, 557,730 The total assessed valuation of Boylston for 1894 was .... 429,486 Assessed value of property to be taken, 165,200 In preparing the estimates for the cost of the great work here sketched out, we have brought to our assistance the best expert aid, and believe that the works can be constructed within the estimates which have been liberally made with the usual allowance for contin- gencies. It may also be of interest to you to know that, of the whole water- shed of the Nashua Eiver above the city of Nashua in New Hamp- shire, at which place the Nashua enters the Merrimack, the proposed reservoir cuts off 22 per cent. ; but, with the provision which is in- serted in the draft of an act herewith submitted for allowing a stated quantity of water to be discharged into the mill-pond below the reservoir dam, the deprivation of water will not be so extensive as the proportion of reservoir water-shed to the whole water-shed of the Nashua would indicate. The estimates of cost have been made by Mr. Stearns, the chief engineer of the Board. They have been made from carefully pre- pared designs, and are intended to be sufficient to include the fuU cost of the completed work. The cost of the works necessary to supply all the communities of the metropolitan district for the next ten years with the main part of the works of sufficient capacity for a long future is estimated as follows : — XX KEPORT OF THE BOAED. [Feb. Keservoir on Nashua River, including the cost of land, buildings and water rights taken, the relocation of roads and railroads, the re- moval of all soil from the site of the reservoir, the construction of dams and dikes and all incidental expenses $9,105,000 Improvement of the water-shed of the Nashua River and of the Stony- Brook branch of the Sudbury River by the diversion and purifica- tion of sewage and drainage of swamps, ' 613,000 Aqueduct from the Nashua River to the Sudbury water-shed and open channel from the end of the aqueduct to Reservoir No. 5, . . 2,265,000 Additional forty-eight-inch pipe from Dam No. 3 to Dam No. 1 and across the Rosemary valley, _ ■ 78,800 Pumping stations, reservoirs and pipe systems for elevating and dis- tributing water to all of the cities and towns in the metropolitan district, including the improvement of Spot Pond, . . _ _. 5,584,000 Damages for the diversion of water from the Nashua River and inci- dental damages not included above, 1,500,000 Total flrst cost of proposed works for supplying water to all of the cities and towns in the metropolitan district, . . . $19,045,800 The estimates of damages for the diversion of water from the Nashua Eiver are believed by the Board to be ample to cover all reasonable demands, and are made large enough so that it is prob- able that some of the more important can be settled within the esti- mate without litigation. It is not proposed in the driest year to lower the water in the reservoir more than sixty feet, and there will always be a great fall between the surface of the water in the reservoir and in the aqueduct leading from it. It is estimated that this fall may be utilized to fur- nish 1,000 horse-power by day and 500 horse-power by night for the first fifteen years, and nearly as much for the following years. The estimated first cost of the proposed works for supplying water to all of the cities and towns in the metropolitan district is, as above stated $19,045,800 Within the next ten years, if the water is used by all of the cities and towns, there will be required an additional expenditure for an aqueduct from Reservoir No. 5 to Weston, and for main pipes and an aqueduct therefrom to the existing distributing system and to Spot Pond of 4,982,000 In the second ten years a further expenditure will be necessary for additional pipes from Weston and for improving a portion of the Sudbury River water-shed, not included in the first estimate, of . 1,300,000 Total expenditure for full development of Nashua River source, ^ and for a supply of 173,000,000 gallons of water per day dis- tributed to all of the cities and towns in the metropolitan i district, $25,327,800 1 After these twenty years, should the growth of the disti-ict be as esti- < mated, additions will have to be made by adding certain tributaries of the Assabet River, or by extending the works to the valley of the Ware River, either of which can be done at a comparatively small cost. 1895. J HOUSE — No. 500. XXI The annual cost for interest, sinking fund and maintenance of the works for supplying the whole district when the works are first completed is estimated to be ninety-three cents per inhabitant, and the cost will decrease with the growth of population. In conclusion, we desire to again call your attention to our pro- found conviction of the need of prompt action in entering upon works of construction which cannot for years be completed, and of which the absolute necessity will at an early day be forced upon this community ; and we are confident that we have pointed out an eco- nomical as well as practicable means of securing one of the most essential conditions for healthy human life. H. P. WALCOTT, J. W. HASTINGS, H. F. MILLS, F. W. DRAPER, G. C. TOBEY, J. W. HULL, C. H. PORTER, State Board of Health. EXPE^TDITURES POK METROPOLITAN "WatER Stjpplt Investigations. Appropriations made iu 1893 and 1894, , Expenditures to Feb. 1, 1895 : — Salaries of engineers, experts and assistants, Travelling expenses and subsistence of engineers, Laborers employed in making borings, . Boring apparatus, repairs and materials, Digging test-pits, Printing, . . . . • Stationery and drawing materials, Instruments and repairs, . Books, maps and map mounting, Office fixtures and furniture, . Small supplies and miscellaneous expenses, . $40,000 00 Balance, $30,152 36 3,229 33 3,645 05 1,818 90 254 30 50 32 368 46 149 73 185 49 43 55 195 25 39,992 74 |7 26 An additional appropriation of $2,500, for continuing and com- pleting the investigations, plans and report, became available Feb. 12, 1895. xxii METEOPOLITAJ^ WATER ACT. [Feb. AN ACT to provide for the tatiilding, maintenance and operation of a system of water supply for the metropolitan water district. Section 1. The governor, by and with the consent of the council, shall appoint three men, inhabitants of the Commonwealth, who shall constitute a board to be known as the metropolitan water board, and who shall hold office, one for the tei-m of five years, one for the term of four years, and one for the term of three years, from the first Monday in May in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five ; and in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, and annually thereafter, the governor shall appoint, as afore- said, one member of said board to hold office for the term of three years^ beginning with the first Monday in May in the year of his appointment ; and if any vacancy occurs in said board by resignation or otherwise the governor shall in like manner appoint a member for the residue of the term in which said vacancy occurs, and may, with the consent of the council, remove any member of the board. The chairman of the board shall receive a salary of $5,000 per year, and the other members a salary of $4,000 per year. Section 2. Said board shall, as soon as may be after its appointment and annually thereafter on the first Monday of May, organize by the choice of one of its members as chairman, and may from time to time appoint an engineer, a secretary, and such other agents, officers, clerks and servants as it deems necessaiy to carry out the purposes of this act, and may em- ploy counsel. It may determine the duties and compensation of such ap- pointees, remove the same at pleasure and make all reasonable rules and regulations. On or before the first Wednesday in January in each year said board shall make report of its proceedings to the general court, to- gether with a full statement of its receipts and disbursements, such report to be numbered as one of the series of public documents, and four thousand five hundred copies thereof shall be printed annually. Section 3. The cities and towns for which said board shall provide a water supply are the cities of Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Maiden, Medford, Newton, Quincy, Somerville, Waltham and Woburn, and the towns of Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, Hyde Park, Lexington, Melrose, Milton, Nahant, Eevere, Saugus, Stoneham, Swampscott, Wake- field, Watertown, Winchester and Winthrop, which cities and towns shall constitute the metropolitan water district : provided, however, that the said board shall not furnish a supply of water to the cities of Cambridge, Lynn, Newton, Waltham and Woburn, and the towns of Brookline, Lexington, Nahant, Saugus, Swampscott and Winchester until requested to do so by the city, or by the inhabitants of the town voting in town meeting, in case the water works are owned by the city or town, or by the water company, acting by its board of directors, in case the city or town is supplied with water by a water company ; but this provision shall not be held to pre- 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. XXlll vent the said board from furnishing by agreement, from pipes located in or passing through any city or town, water for extinguishing fires, or to prevent a failure of the supply in said city or town in the ease of accident or other emergency. Section 4. The said board shall construct, maintain and operate a sys- tem of water supply for the benefit of the cities and towns before mentioned, which system shall be in substantial accordance with the plans reported and recommended by the state board of health- in its report to the legislature of the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five ; and for this purpose it may make all necessary contracts for the construction of the dams, reservoirs, aqueducts, pumping stations, main-pipe systems and other works requu-ed for or incidental to furnishing the aforesaid cities and towns with a supply of pure water and for improving and protecting the purity of the supply, or may, where deemed advisable, carry on such construction or work by day labor. Section 5. Said board, acting in behalf and in the name of the Com- monwealth, may take and hold by purchase or otherwise, as far as may be necessary or advisable in the opinion of said board to carry out the pro- visions of this act, and convey to, into or through said metropolitan dis- trict, all or any part of the water, except as hereinafter provided, of the South Branch of the Nashua river at and above the dam at the Lancaster Mills in the town of Clinton, also the water of Sandy Pond, so-called, in said town of Clinton, and the waters which may flow into and from said river and pond, any water rights in or upon said river and pond at or above the points hereinbefore mentioned in said town of Clinton, and any lands in fee or rights and easements in land, and any existing reser- voirs, ponds, aqueducts, pipes, pumping stations, or other works now owned or controlled by any city or cities, town or towns or water company in the metropolitan district ; and the said board may also contract with any city, town or water company for pumping or conveying through pipes any part of the water furnished by it for the supply of the metropolitan district. When any lands, water courses, rights of way or easements, or any reservoirs, ponds, aqueducts, pipes, pumping stations or other works are so taken or entered and used in any manner other than by purchase or agreement, said board shall, and in all cases may within thirty days of such taking or entering and using, cause to be recorded in the registry of deeds for the county or district in which such lands, water courses, rights of way or easements, or reservoirs, ponds, aqueducts, pipes, pumping stations or other works lie, a description of the same as certain as is required in a common conveyance of land, with a statement of the purpose for which the same is taken or entered and used, which description shall be signed by a majority of said board ; and upon such record the fee of or easement in the lands, water courses, rights of way or easements, reservoirs, ponds, aqueducts, pipes, pumping stations or other works so taken or purchased xxix^ METKOPOLITAN WATER ACT. [Feb. shall vest in the Commouwealth, which shall pay in the manner hereinafter described all damages that shall be sustained by any person or corporation to their property by the taking of or injury to any land, real estate, water or water rights, or by the flowage of the lands, or by the interference with or injury to the use or enjoyment of the water of said river or pond to which any person or corporation at the time of such taking is legally enti- tled, or by any other doings under this act. Seotiok 6. The Commonwealth shall be liable to pay all damages that shall be sustained by any person or corporation in their property by the taking of any land, water or water rights as aforesaid, or by the construc- tion of any aqueducts, reservoirs or other works by authority of this act ; and if the owner of any land, water or water rights which shall be taken as aforesaid, or other person or corporation who shall sustain damage as aforesaid, shall not agree with said metropolitan water board acting for the Commonwealth upon the damages to be paid therefor, said person or cor- poration may apply by petition for the assessment of damages at any time within three years from the taking of the said land, water or water rights or other easements as aforesaid, and not afterwards, to the superior court in the county where such land, water or water rights or other easements are situated. Suits for damages for the taking of water shall not be entered until water shall be actually withdrawn or diverted under the au- thority of this act from the land or works of the person or corporation claim- ing damages ; and any person or corporation from whose land or works water is withdrawn or diverted by any doings under this act after the first actual withdrawal or diversion of water, may enter their suits within three years from the time when water shall be withdrawn or diverted from their land or works as aforesaid. Such petition may be filed in the clerk's office in va- cation orterm time, and the clerk shall thereupon issue a summons to the Com- monwealth, to be sei-ved on the metropolitan water board returnable at the next return day after the expiration of fourteen days from the filing of said petition, to appear and answer said petition ; the said summons shall be served fourteen days at least before the return day thereof by leaving a copy thereof, and of the said petition, certified by the officer who shall serve the same, with the chairman or clerk of said metropolitan water board ; and the court may, upon default or hearing of the Commonwealth appoint three commissioners, who shall, after reasonable notice to the parties, assess the damages, if any, which such petitioner shall have sustained as afore- said ; and the award of said commissioners or of the major part of them, being returned into and accepted by said court, shall be final, and judgment shall be rendered and execution issued for the prevailing party, with costs, unless one of said parties shall claim a trial by jury, as hereinafter provided. Section 7. If either of the parties mentioned in the preceding section shall be dissatisfied with the amount of damages awarded as therein ex- pressed, such party may, at the term at which such award was accepted or 1895. J HOUSE— No. 500. XXT the next term thereafter, claim in writing a trial in said court, and have a jury to hear and determine at the bar of said court all questions of fact relating to such damages and to assess the amount thereof, and the verdict of the jury, being accepted and recorded by the court, shall be final and conclusive, and judgment shall be rendered and execution issued thereon ; and costs shall be recovered by the said parties, respectively, in the same manner as is provided by law in other civil actions in said court. In every case of a petition for the assessment of damages, as provided herein, the Commonwealth may at any time after the entry thereof, offer in court and consent in writing that a sum therein specified may be awarded as damages to the petitioners ; and if the petitioner shall not accept the same within ten days after he has received notice of such offer, or within such further time as the court shall for good cause grant, and shall not finally recover a greater sum than the sum so offered, not including interest on the sum recovered in damages from the date of the offer, the Common- wealth shall be entitled to recover its costs after said date, and the peti- tioner, if he recover damages, shall be allowed his costs only to the date of the offer. If any person or corporation shall be entitled under the law to recover damages for any taking made under this act affecting property situated out of the Commonwealth, the petition of such person or corporation may be brought in either of the counties of Worcester, Middlesex or Suffolk, and shall otherwise follow the other provisions of this act. Section 8. Said board may for the purposes aforesaid, carry and con- duct any aqueduct, conduit or pipe by it to be made and constructed under or over any water course or any street, turnpike, road, railroad, highway or other way, in such a manner as not unnecessarily to obstruct or impede travel thereon, and may enter upon and dig up any such road, street or way for the purpose of laying down aqueducts, conduits or pipes beneath the surface thereof, and for maintaining and repairing the same, and in a general way do any other acts and things necessary or convenient and proper for the purposes of this act. In entering upon and digging up any such road, street or way of public travel, it shall be subject to such reason- able regulations as may be made by the mayor and aldermen or selectmen of the cities and towns respectively wherein such work shall be performed ; said board may also enter upon the land of the Lancaster Mills for the pur- pose of taking down, and rebuilding the dam of said corporation, and may take down said dam to such an extent as it may deem necessary in order to safely prosecute the work of constructing a dam across the South Branch of the Nashua River above the dam at said Lancaster Mills, and shall rebuild said dam when the necessity for keeping it down ceases. In doing this work it shall perform it in a reasonable manner with regard to the interests of the Lancaster Mills, and shall so far as may be heed all reasonable requests made by such corporation. xxvi METEOPOLITAN WATEE ACT. [Feb. Section 9. Whenever said board shall dig up any road, street or way, as aforesaid, it shall, so far as practicable, restore the same to as good order and condition as the same was in when such digging commenced, and the Commonwealth shall at all times indemnify and save harmless the sev- eral cities and towns, within which such roads, streets or ways may be, against all damages which may be recovered against them respectively, and shall reimburse to them all expenses which they shall incur by reason of any defect and want of repair in any road, street or way, caused by the construction of any of said aqueducts, conduits or pipes, or by the main- taining and repairing of the same, provided that said board shall have due and reasonable notice of all claims for such damages or injury and oppor- tunity to make a legal defence thereto. Section 10. Said board may also alter or change the course or direction of any water course, or may, with the consent of the mayor and aldermen of cities or selectmen of towns, alter or change the location or grade of any highway, townway, public street or way of travel crossed by any aque- ducts, conduits or pipes constructed under the provisions of this act, or in which such aqueducts, conduits or pipes may be located, subject to the same provisions as to holding cities and towns harmless as are contained in the last section. Section 11. The said board may construct a storage reservoir on the South Branch of the Nashua river above the dam at the Lancaster Mills and over and near Sandy pond, which shall flood existing streets, roads, highways or other ways, and the Central Massachusetts and the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester railroads, now both operated by the Boston and Maine Railroad Company, in the towns of Clinton, Boylston and West Boylston ; and as substitutes for the streets, roads, highways and other ways, except railways so flooded, the board shall construct new roads where necessary, near the margin of the said reservoir, the location, width, grade and manner of construction of said roads to be determined by mutual agreement between the said board and the selectmen of the towns or the county commissioners having authority over the same, or, if the parties cannot agree, the matter may be determined by an application of either party in writing to the Massachusetts highway commission, which is hereby authorized and directed to adjudicate finally upon the same. Section 12. The said board may raise, alter or construct upon the present or a new location or locations, a railroad or railroads to take the place of the existing railroads where they will be either flooded or other- wise rendered unavailable by reason of the constraction of said reservoir ; but the location, grades and manner of raising, altering or constructing said roads shall be such as may be mutually agreed between the said board and the board of directors of the respective railroad companies interested, or it may contract with such companies acting by their directors for the raising, altering and construction of the railroads upon the location an^ in 1895. j HOUSE — No. 500. xxrii the maimer aforesaid. If the said board and the respective railroad com- panies cannot agree as to the location and manner of construction of said road, the matter may be determined by an application of either party in writ- ing, to the Massachusetts board of railroad commissioners, which is hereby authorized and directed to adjudicate finally upon the same. All damages done to such railroad corporations under the provisions of this section shall be estimated in the manner provided in sections six and seven ; but in esti- mating the damages sustained there shall be taken into account the amount of benefit the railroad company may have received from the separation of grades or change of location, or otherwise, if any. The said metropolitan water board is hereby authorized, acting for and in the name of the Common- wealth, with the approval of said board of railroad commissioners, to take in fee such lands and i-ights as may be necessary for constructing in a new location any part of the railroads aforesaid, and the said metropolitan water board shall and is hereby authorized and required to convey the lands so taken to the respective railroad companies, and said railroad companies may if they desire also locate their lines over the land so conveyed to them. Section 13. The said board shall not reduce the flow of water in the South Branch of the Nashua River immediately above the dam at the Lan- caster Mills to less than twelve million gallons in each and every week, and in permitting this amount of water to flow, the said board shall as far as practicable, supply the water at such times during the week as to meet the requirements of the owners of said dam. Section 14. Nothing contained in this act shall be so construed as to prevent the towns of Clinton, Lancaster, Sterling, Boylston, West Boylston, Holden, Rutland, Princeton, Paxton and Leicester, or the city of "Worcester, from taking from the South Branch of the Nashua River or its tributaries, or from the reservoirs constructed under the provisions of this act, so much of the water as they have already been or may hereafter be authorized to take by the legislature ; but if before the taking of the water by any of the said towns or said city, the Commonwealth has taken and diverted the water of the river or has constructed works which will be used by or benefit the said town or city, then the said town or city shall pay to the said Com- monwealth its fair proportion of the cost incurred by the Commonwealth for damages for the diversion of water or for the construction of the afore- said works. If the metropolitan water board and the said city or town cannot acree as to the amount to be paid to the said Commonwealth, the matter may be referred by an application of either party in writing, to the commission to be appointed, as provided in section twenty-seven of this act and its decision shall be final. Section 15. Any city, town or water company in the metropolitan water district may, before the introduction of a water supply by said board into said district, supply from its works any other city, town or water company in said district, upon such terms as may be mutually agreed upon between xxviii METROPOLITAN WATER ACT. [Feb. the parties in interest, or it shall furnish such supply if so required by said board, to the extent that it can do so without endangering the sufficiency •of the supply to the city or cities, town or towns regularly supplied from its works ; and may, after the introduction of a water supply into the dis- trict as aforesaid, supply water as aforesaid, for such times and in such amounts as may be approved by the metropolitan water board in writing. In case of any disagreement as to the capability of the works for furnish- ing water the matter may be referred, by an application of either party in writing, to the state board of health for adjudication, and its decision as to the quantity of water to be supplied at such times and under such condi- tions as it may determine, shall be final. If an agreement cannot be made between the city, town or water company furnishing the water, and the city, town or water company receiving the water as to the sum tg be paid for water, the matter shall be referred to the commission to be appointed by the supreme court as provided in section twenty-seven of this act for adju- dication and its decision shall be final. Section 16. Any city or town in the metropolitan water district shall have the right to use the water supplied by its own works without admixture with water from the metropolitan water supply if it shall so elect, provided the exclusion of the water of the metropolitan supply does not intei-fere with the carrying out of the plans reported and recommended by the state board of health in its report to the legislature of the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five. Section 17. The metropolitan water board, acting in behalf of the ■Commonwealth, after taking the whole or any part of the water sources or water works of any city, town or water company, shall, in addition to all its powers under this act, as to such water sources and water works, have all the powers, rights and privileges which the said city, town or water ■company had at the time of said taking. Section 18. All general laws relating to the water supply of cities and towns shall hereafter be equally applicable to the water supply of the met- ropolitan district, unless such application is inconsistent with the purposes of this act. Section 19. The metropolitan water board shall furnish water for each city and town supplied by it, under sufficient pressure to supply the inhab- itants of said city or town without requiring the city, town or water com- pany supplying said city or town to pump the water, and it shall either discharge the water into a distributing reservoir or tank, or into a main pipe or pipes of said city, town or water company as said board may deter- mine, and the connections between the metropolitan and local systems shall be subject to the direction and control of said board : provided, however, that nothing contained in this section shall be construed to authorize any oity or town now supplied with water by a water company, to introduce water works supplied from the metropolitan system until it shall first have 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. xxLs acquired the works of the water company, or to prevent the metropolitan, water board from furnishing water to any city, town or water company under a less pressure, by agreement with said city, town or water company. Section 20. When any city or cities, or town or towns in the metro- politan water district shall take the franchise, works and property of any water company in said district, the compensation to be allowed and paid for the franchise of such company shall not be increased by reason of the provisions of this act. Section 21. The state board of health is hereby authorized and required to make rules and regulations for the sanitary protection of the waters of the South Branch of the Nashua River, and any other waters taken or used by the metropolitan water board for supplying water to the metropolitan district, and may impose penalties for the violation of or non- compliance with these rules or regulations, not exceeding two hundred dollars in any one case to be recovered by complaint or indictment; and the metropolitan water board or its duly authorized agents may enter any lands, mills, factories, or other buildings for the purpose of ascertaining whether sources of pollution exist, and whether the rules and regulations made by the state board of health are complied with. On complaint by the metropolitan water board of the violation of said rules and regulations, the superior court in the county in which said violation is said to have occurred shall have jurisdiction to enforce the said rules and regulations by injunction or by other legal or equitable remedy. The rules and regulations made by the state board of health shall not take effect until they have been approved by the supreme judicial court for the Commonwealth . Section 22. When the state board of health shall for the protection of the water supply of the metropolitan water district make regulations, the execution of which will require the providing of some public means of removal or purification of sewage, the metropolitan water board shall con- struct and maintain such works or means of sewage disposal, and the expense of such construction and maintenance shall be borne by the Com- monwealth as part of the cost of construction and maintenance of the metropolitan water district water supply to be provided for and distributed under the provisions of this act. Section 23. The metropolitan water board shall at all times keep full, accurate and separate accounts of its receipts, expenditures, disburse- ments assets and liabilities, and shall include an abstract of the same in its annual report to the General Court. Section 24. The state board of health shall, on the organization of the metropolitan water board, transfer and deliver over to said board, such plans, maps and other information acquired during the surveys and investi- gations as may be needed to give said board full information of the results of the surveys and investigations made by said board of health. XXX METROPOLITAN WATER ACT. L^eb. Section 25. The metropolitan water board is hereby authorized to utilize the fall of the -water at the proposed dam to be built by it in the town of Clinton to produce and furnish power by any suitable means for use upon its works and for the use of the Lancaster Mills or its successors in said town, and it may produce and furnish power to the towns of Clinton and Lancaster and any person or corporation therein, or it may generate electricity and distribute the same to the towns of Clinton and Lancaster, or any person or corporation therein for any purpose : provided, however, that it shall not furnish or distribute power or electricity to said towns or any person or corporation therein, except the . Lancaster Mills or its successors, without the consent of said towns, each for itself, obtained by vote of its inhabitants in town meeting. The said board is authorized to sell the power so furnished or supplied by contract or othei-wise, and such contracts may be made for any length of time not exceeding fifteen years. Section 26. To meet the expenses incurred under the provisions of this act, the treasurer and receiver-general shall, with the approval of the governor and council, issue from time to time scrip or certificates of debt in the name and behalf of the Commonwealth, and under its seal, for an amount not exceeding nineteen million dollars, for a term not exceeding forty years. Said scrip or certificates of debt shall be issued as registered bonds or with interest coupons attached, and shall bear interest not exceed- ing four per cent, per annum payable semi-annually on the first days of January and July of each year. Said scrip or certificates of debt shall be designated on the face as the Metropolitan "U^'ater Loan, shall be counter- signed by the governor, and shall be deemed a pledge of the faith and credit of the Commonwealth, and the principal and interest shall be paid at the time specified therein, in gold coin of the United States or its equivalent, and said scrip or certificates of debt shall be sold and disposed of at pub- lic auction, or in such other mode, and at such times and jirices, and in such amounts, and at such rates of interest, not exceeding the rate above specified, as the treasurer and receiver-general with the approval of the governor and council shall from time to time deem best. The treasurer and receiver-general shall, on issuing any of said scrip or certificates of debt, establish a sinking fund and apportion an amount to be paid thereto each year, sufficient with its accumulations to extinguish the debt at maturity. Any premium realized on the sale of said scrip or certificates of debt, shall be applied to the payment of the interest of said loan as it accrues. Section 27. The supreme judicial court sitting in equitv shall, upon the application of the meti-opolitan water board, after notice to each of the cities, towns and water companies in the metropolitan water district, appoint three commissioners who shall not be residents of said cities or towns, who shall, after due notice and hearing, and in such manner as they shall deem just and equitable, determine the proportion in which each 1895. J HOUSE — No. 500. xxxi of said cities and towns shall annually pay money into the treasury of the Commonwealth for the term of five years next following the year of the first issue of said scrip or certificates, to meet the interest and sinking- fund requirements for each of said years, as estimated by the treasurer of the Commonwealth, and to meet the cost of maintenance and operation of said system for each of said years, as estimated by the metropolitan water board and certified to said treasurer. In making their award the commissioners shall take into account the extent to which the sources or works belonging to the separate municipalities are used for furnishing, storing, pumping and conveying the water supplied to the metropolitan district by the metropolitan water board, and shall also take into account the capacity of the sources and works retained by any city, town or water company, for the supply of the city or cities, town or towns now supplied by them, and the amount of water actually supplied therefrom ; and when said award shall have been accepted by said court, the same shall be a final and conclusive adjudication of all such matters herein referred to said com- missioners, and shall be binding on all parties. When any city or cities, town or towns, or parts thereof, are supplied with water by a water com- pany the said water company shall pay the sum apportioned to the city or cities, town or towns supplied by it, and in case said water company shall furnish only a part of the water supplied to said city or cities, town or towns, it shall pay such proportion as may be fixed by said commis- sioners. The said commissioners shall also, in the manner aforesaid, adjudicate the matters which may be brought before them under the provisions of sections fourteen and fifteen, and its award when accepted by said court shall be final and conclusive. In the discharge of their duties the said commissioners may employ experts to advise them at the expense of the Commonwealth . Section 28. Before the expiration of said term of five years and every five years thereafter, three commissioners, who shall not be residents of any of the cities or towns constituting the metropolitan water district, shall be appointed as aforesaid, who shall in the manner aforesaid deter- mine the proportion in which each of said cities, towns and water companies shall annually pay money into the treasury of the Common- wealth, as aforesaid, for the next succeeding terms of five years, together with any deficiency in the amount previously paid in, as found by said treasurer, and shall return their award into said court ; and when said award shall have been accepted by said court, the same shall be a final and 'conclusive adjudication of all matters herein referred to said commissioners and shall be binding on all parties. ' Section 29. The metropolitan water board shall annually estimate the 'cost of maintenance and operation of the .works under its charge for the 'ensuing year, and certify the same to the treasurer who shall apportion said 'axpenses in the manner provided in the following section. xxxii METEOPOLITAN WATER ACT. [Feb, Section 30. The amount of money required each year from each city and town and water company of the metropolitan water district to meet the interest, sinking-fund requirements and expenses aforesaid, shall be esti- mated by the treasurer of the Commonwealth in accordance with the pro- portion determined as aforesaid, and shall be included in and made a part of the sum charged to each city or town, and be assessed upon it in the apportionment and assessment of its annual state tax, excepting such por- tions or the whole of the assessment against any city or town as are by the provisions of this act to be paid by the water company supplying said city or town or a part thereof ; and said treasurer shall in each year notify each city and town and water company of the amount of such assessment and the same shall be paid by the city or town into the treasury of the Com- monwealth at the time required for the payment of its state tax, and by the water company in quarterly payments on or before the last day of the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth months of the calendar year. Section 31. The metropolitan water board may, from time to time, by public or private sale, dispose of any property, real or personal, no longer needed for the construction or maintenance of the works under its charge ; and the net proceeds of such sales, after deducting all necessary expenses incurred thereby, shall be paid into the treasury of the Commonwealth, and if any part of the appropriation or fund from which the payment for such property was originally made remains unexpended, shall be credited to said appropriation or fund, and otherwise shall be credited to and become a part of the sinking fund established under this act. Any other income or receipts derived from any operations carried on under the direction of said board shall be paid into the treasury as aforesaid and shall be applied to the payment of the interest on the metropolitan water loan as it accrues. Section 32. The supreme judicial court shall have jurisdiction in equity to enforce the provisions of this act and shall fix and determine the com- pensation of all commissioners, and of experts employed by them, ap- pointed by said court under the provisions hereof. Section 33. Whoever wantonly or maliciously corrupts, pollutes or diverts any of the water or any part thereof taken under this act, or injurea any structure, work or other property owned, held or used by the Common- wealth under the authority and for the purpose of this act, shall forfeit and pay to the Commonwealth three times the amount of damages resulting therefrom, to be recovered in an action of tort brought in the county where the prohibited act is done, and this section shall apply to corporations as well as to natural persons. Section 34. Whoever wantonly or maliciously corrupts, pollutes or diverts any of the water or any^art thereof taken under this act, or injures any structure, work or other property owned, held or used by the Com- monwealth under the authority and for the purpose of this act shall in 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. xxxiii addition to the forfeiture of treble damages provided for in the thirty-thu-d section of this act, on indictment and conviction be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, and by imprisonment not exceeding ten years in the house of correction, or in the state prison, in the discretion of the court ; and this section shall, so far as may be, apply to corporations as well as to natural persons. Section 35. This act shall take effect upon its passage. xxxiv CONSULTING ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. EEPOET OF THE CONSULTING ENGINEER Boston, Feb. 6, 1895, To H. r. Mnxs, A.M., C.E., Chairman of Committee on Water Supply and Sew- erage of the State Board oj Health. Sm : — Your chief engineer, Mr. Stearns, has asked me to give my \dews regarding the best source from which to draw an additional supply of water for the cities and towns within what has been de- nominated the "metropolitan district," and also upon the scheme of works proposed by him for utilizing the waters of the Nashua River. Investigations made for the city of Boston, some twenty years ago, make me acquainted with most of the sources within fifty miles of the city, discussed in his report. Last summer I visited with him the basin of the proposed reser- voir on the Nashua, and examined the sites of the dam and dikes and the area to be overflowed. Since then I have discussed with him, from time to time, various plaijs and questions relating to methods of construction, capacity of conduits, etc., and have read with care the reports and estimates placed in my hands. Mr. Stearns, on page 6 of his report, gives a table showing that the average daily capacity in a dry year of the works now supplying the metropolitan district is 83,700,000 gallons; that the average daily consumption of water in this district was, in 1894, 79,046,000 gallons, and that the estimated consumption in 1898 is 100,026,000 gallons. These figures point out, with more force than any argument can give, the necessity for prompt action to secure an additional sup- ply. The table also shows that this is a need not only of the district as a whole, but also of a majority of the cities and towns compris- j ing it. General considerations would lead to the belief that this additional supply could be more economically obtained by joint than by inde- pendent action ; and Mr. Stearns has .pointed out, with considerable detail, the advantages to be gained in saving of cost and in purity of 1895. j HOUSE— No. 500. xxxv water by building a single system of works to bring the supply from a source of large capacity. Considering the state Of the existing supplies as to quantity and quality, the rate of growth of the populations and the increasing use of water per capita, it seems clear that the new source should have a capacity to supply not less than 100,000,000 gallons per day as an addition to the existing supplies that may be retained in use ; and, unless of much greater capacity than above mentioned, it is desirable that it should be so situated that its supply may be largely supple- mented in a not distant future by providing a larger volume of stor- age on its water-shed or by connecting other sources with it. Of the sources available for supplying the metropolitan district, all but the Nashua, the Charles and the Merrimack rivers, Lake Winnipiseogee in New Hampshire and Sebago Lake in Maine, may be thrown out of consideration as obviously inferior either for want of capacity or because they would fiirnish unacceptable water ; and on closer examination it is found that the Charles, although it has a drainage area above the suggested point of taking of 156 square miles, would not furnish a large supply. By building a dam at South Natick, and others higher up in the water-shed, it is prob- able the average daily yield of the Charles could be brought to 100,000,000 gallons, but the whole of it would not be available for a supply to the metropolitan district. From 20,000,000 to 30,000,000 gallons per day should be allowed to flow in the river bed for the benefit of the cities and towns on its lower reaches. Its available capacity of supply may be taken at 75,000,000 gallons per day. Water to be derived from this source, as compared with that from the Nashua, would be much inferior in quality. The population per square mile of water-shed is much larger, the water as it flows in the river has a higher color, and, above all, the opportunity for purifica- tion would be very much less in the shallow storage basin that might be built in the valley of the Charles than in the very large and deep basin proposed for the Nashua. The Charles, therefore, may also be set aside from further consid- eration, for deficiency both in quantity of supply and in good quality of water. The Merrimack River would furnish an abundant supply for aU time, as its dry-weather daily flow at Lowell is estimated at fully 1,000,000,000 gallons. But experience at Lowell and Lawrence xxxvi CONSULTING ENGINEEK'S REPOKT. [Feh. has demonstrated that the unpurified water is not safe for domestic use ; to make it so, it must be filtered. The works for diverting the water from the river and conveying it to Spot Pond would consist of a pumping station at the river, a conduit from the river to the filter beds, covered filter beds in Wil- mington, a conduit from this point to a pumping station in Woburn, and force mains and conduit between this pumping station and Spot Pond. In estimating the value of this river as a source of supply, careful consideration must be given to the polluted condition of the water and to the difficulties to be met in operating and maintaining the works for purifying and conveying the supply. It is plain that, with a pumping station on the Merrimack, filters at "Wilmington and a second pumping station at Woburn, at each of which places a considerable force of men must be employed, efficient administration would be more difficult and the possibility of an in- terruption to the service would be greater than with a gravitation supply. The cost of operating per million gallons supplied would, of course, be high, as the water must be both filtered and pumped. Experience abroad, and for one year with the supply to the city of Lawrence in this State, seems to demonstrate that water which has been considerably contaminated by sewage may be rendered reasonably safe for domestic use by filtering through sand. But the process must be thorough ; that is, it must be carried on consci- entiously and under skilful management. The consequences of carelessness or inefficiency may be so serious that it appears quite unwise to select for a supply a polluted water that must be filtered, when sources yielding uncontaminated water can be utilized at a reasonable cost. The Merrimack as a source of supply must therefore be consid- ered inferior to the Nashua. Either Lake Winnipiseogee or Sebago Lake would furnish an abundant supply of very pure water. Both of them, however, are outside the limits of this State, and the cost of works for brino-ing their waters to the metropolitan district, even if the right to do so could be obtained, would be so large that they must be classed as inferior to the Nashua as desirable sources of supply to this district. Mr. Stearns, in a chapter of his report entitled " General remarks regarding sources of water supply," makes an excellent statement of the general considerations that govern the selection of a source of 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. xxxvii water supply for domestic purposes ; and in later chapters he demon- strates that a practically unlimited supply of very pure water may be obtained at a reasonable cost for works from the South Branch of the Nashua River and other water-sheds that can be readily connected with it. He also describes the works that he recommends to be buUt to impound and purify the water and convey it to and distribute it throughout the metropolitan district. He gives an estimate of the cost of the works, and, as a basis for the estimate, he has made designs for the dam, dikes, conduits- and other structures. I have studied the general scheme of works and examined the designs of details and the estimates of cost with sufficient care to feel justified in saying I am of opinion that the general scheme is a good one, that the designs are ample for the purpose and weU conceived, and that the estimates of cost are reliable. Considering the quantity, quality and cost of supply, I belieye that the South Branch of the Nashua River is by far the best avail- able source from which to draw an additional supply of pure water for the metropolitan district. EespectfiiUy submitted, JOS. P. DAVIS, ConmUing Engineer. UEPOET OP THE CHIEF ENGINEER To H. F. Mills, A.M., C.E., Chairman of Committee on Water Supply and Sewerage of the State Board of Health. Sir : — At tlie meeting of the State Board of Health on July 6, 1893, I was directed to take charge, as chief engineer, under the supervision of your committee, of the investigations relative to procuring a water supply for the city of Boston and its sub- urbs. The State Board of Health was authorized to make these investigations by chapter 459 of the Acts of 1893, and their nature is indicated by sections 1 and 2 of this chapter, which are as follows : — Section 1. The state board of health is hereby authorized and directed to investigate, consider and report upon the question of a water supply for the city of Boston and its suburbs within a radius of ten miles from the state house, and for such other cities and towns as in its opinion should be included in connection therewith. Section 2 . The said board shall forthwith proceed to investigate and con- sider this subject, including all questions relating to the quantity of water to be obtained from available sources, its quality, the best methods of pro- tecting the purity of the water, the construction, operation and mainten- ance of works for storing, conveying, or purifying the water, the cost of the same, the damages to property, and all other matters pertaining to the subject. In order to make these investigations, the engineering force of the Board was largely increased, with the approval of your committee. Mr. Albert F. Noyes, for seventeen years city engineer of Newton, was engaged as assistant chief engineer, to relieve me as far as practi- cable of the regular engineering work of the Board relating to water 2 CfflEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. supply and sewerage of cities and towns throughout the State, so that I might give more personal attention to the investigations for a new water supply for the metropolitan district ; and to assist in making these investigations. Mr. Thomas F. Richardson, who was engaged from 1873 to 1879 in investigations for a new water supply for Bos- ton and upon the construction of the Sudbury River aqueduct, and who has since had an extended experience in the West, was engaged as principal assistant engineer. Messrs. X. H. Goodnough, William M. Brown, Jr., Sidney Smith, Arthur T. Safford, Horace Ropes, Morris Knowles, Chester W- Smith, B. F. Hancox, Jr., and Mar- shall Nevers have also been employed upon the work, in charge of special investigations, of surveying parties in the field or of office work. Mr. Dexter Brackett, who has been connected with the engineer's department of the city of Boston for the past twenty-five years, nearly all of the time in connection with the water supply of the city, has, by my request, made reports upon the probable future consumption of water in the metropolitan district, and upon the feasibility of supplying in the district water of different qualities for different purposes, as, for instanpe, a spring or ground water for drinking and cooking only, and an inferior water, not safe for drink- ing, for mechanical and manufacturing purposes, sprinkling streets, and other similar uses. Mr. Desmond FitzGerald, resident engineer of the additional water supply of the city of Boston, has, in accordance with a similar request, made a report upon the extent to which the water of the Sudbury River can be improved by the drainage of the swamps upon its water-shed, and the cost of such improvement. Mr. AUen Hazen, who has had a large experience in the filtration of water and sewage as chemist in charge of the Lawrence Experi- ment Station of the State Board of Health, and who has recently spent a year in Europe examining water filtration systems and ground water supplies, was requested to advise with regard to the purifica- tion of the Merrimack River water by filtration through sand. Mr. Charles T. Main of the firm of Dean and Main was engaged to advise with regard to the value of the mills upon the Nashua River, which would be flooded by a proposed reservoir above Clinton. Mr. Joseph P. Davis, the consulting engineer of the State Board of Health, was asked at the beginning of these investigations to advise 1895.J HOUSE — No. 500. 3 with regard to them as they progressed, and finally to make a report as consulting engineer. The chemical analyses referred to or printed in this report were made under the direction of Dr. Thomas M. Drown, chemist of the Board. • In making my investigations for a new water supply, I have thought it best to include all of the cities and towns situated within ten miles of the State House, and, in addition, the town of Swamp- scott, which is intimately connected with the city of Lynn. For convenience this collection of cities and towns will be termed in my report the " metropolitan district." The results of my investigations and consideration of the subject will be presented in the following order : — 1. Statistics and estimates relating to the water supply of the metro- politan district as a whole. 2. A statement of the present condition of the water supply of each of the cities and towns in the district, prefaced by some remarks regarding _ sources of water supply in general. 3. An outline of the plan recommended for taking an additional water supply from the Nashua Eiver. 4. A financial statement with regard to the existing water works of the district. 5. A statement with regard to each city and town in the district, as to whether it should obtain its water supply independently or as a part of the district. 6. A statement regarding sources investigated but not recommended. 7. A detailed description of the works recommended, both for bringing water to the metropolitan district, and for distributing it to the cities and towns within the district, including estimates of cost. List of Cities and Towns within Ten Miles op State House. The following list includes the towns within the ten-mile limit, with the population of each as given by the census of 1890 and the estimated population in 1895 and 1898. The dates 1895 and 1898 are selected as representing respectively the population at the time when this report will be before the Legislature and the population at the earliest date at which a metropolitan supply can become available. CHIEF ENGINEER'S EEPORT. [Feb. CITY ob;town. Population In 1800. Boston, Cambridge, .... Lynn, Somerville, .... Chelsea, .... Newton, .... Maiden, .... Waltham, .... Quincy, Wobum, .... Brookline, .... Medford, .... Everett, .... Hyde Park ' Melrose, .... Watertown, .... Wakefield, .... Stoneham, .... Revere, Arlington, .... Winchester, .... Milton, Saugus, .... Lexington, .... Winthrop, .... Belmont, .... Nahant, Total, 27 cities and towns, 448,477 70,028 65,727 40,152 27,909 24,379 23,031 18,707 16,723 13,499 12,103 11,079 11,068 10,193 8,619 7,073 6,982 6,155 5,668 5,629 4,861 4,278 3,673 3,197 2,726 2,098 880 ESTIUATBD POPULATIOH. 844,814 504,702 80,917 61,146 51,583 30,975 28,470 30,240 21,700 22,140 14,701 15,638 14,812 17,760 12,300 11,656 7,651 8,119 7,072 7,707 6,573 6,930 6,800 4,638 3,645 3,783 2,628 1,126 984,301 1808. 541,532 87,807 67,982 58,658 32,850 32,809 35,196 23,600 26,152 15,962 17,913 17,685 21,920 13,740 13,677 8,420 8,996 7,704 9,461 7,519 7,782 6,730 5,290 4,104 4,691 3,256 1,203 1,082,589 I The towns of Lexington and Dedham each have one village within the ten-mile limit, so that it was a question whether to include them or not. It was thought best to include the town of Lexing- ton in the district, because of the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient independent water supply for this town ; while Dedham has been 1895.] HOUSE— No. 500. 5 omitted, because it has a more ample water supply and a better opportunity for obtaining an additional supply. Towns outside the Ten-mile Limit considered with Eefek- ence to includesra them in the metropolitan district. Outside of the ten-mile limit there are several towns which may have to obtain their water supply from the metropolitan district. These are Swampscott, Beading, Marblehead, Wellesley and Ded- ham. Of these places it was thought best to include in the district the town of Swampscott, which has only a limited water supply, and is closely connected with the city of Lynn, so that it could be sup- plied in connection with that city without difficulty. There were some reasons for including also Eeading, Marblehead and Wellesley, but they are less closely connected with the district, and are not so large but that they could be included later without any serious modi- fication of the plans. Consumption of Water in the Metropolitan District, and Capacitt of Present Sources of Water Supply. The following table gives the amount of water consumed by the different communities in tiie metropolitan district in 1890 and 1894, and the amount which would be consumed in 1898, if the increase from 1894 to 1898 were the same as from 1890 to 1894 ; also the estimated capacity of the sources now supplying the district. The capacity of the sources, as given in the last column of the table, is the capacity in a very dry year and with the works as they existed in 1894. In wetter years the capacity would be considerably greater ; but it is a well-established principle, in supplying water to large communities, that the capacity of the sources should be reck- oned upon the driest year which is likely to occur, so that the supply of water may not be interrupted. The interests at stake are alto- gether too great to warrant the adoption of any other policy. The capacities as stated in the table are also, in some instances, somewhat less than the actual minimum capacities of the sources, the reduction beino- made in order to give the proper relation between the capacity and the average consumption for the whole year, which is less than the consumption during the portions of the year when the capacities of these sources are most severely taxed. CHIEF ENGINEEE'S EEPORT. [Feb. Comparison of Amount of Water Consumed in the Metropolitan District with the Present Capacity of Sources of Supply. Atbeage Daily Coksomp- TION. Average Dally Consumptioiv, 1898. Average Dally CITY OB TOWN. 1890. 1894. Capacity of Sources. (GaUons.) (Gallons.) (Gallons.) (GaUona.) Boston (Cochituate works), 33,872,000 46,576,000 69,280,000 48,000,000 Charlestown, Somerville, Chelsea and Everett (Mystic works), . 8,301,000 10,282,000 12,263,000 7,000,000 Cambridge, 4,566,000 6,777,000 6,988,000 7,200,000 Lynn and Saugus, 2,667,000 4,020,000 5,383,000 3,450,000 Newton, 985,000 1,623,000 2,261,000 2,000,000 Maiden, * 1,460,000 1,800,000 1,520,000 Waltham, 626,000 1,237,000 1,848,000 3,100,000 Quincy 497,000 798,000 1,099,000 840,000 Hyde Park and Milton, 391,000 687,000 783,000 600,000 Woburn, 777,000 972,000 1,167,000 1,000,000 Wakefield and Stoneham, , 637,000 » 800,000 660,000 Brookline, 877,000 1,325,000 1,779,000 3,100,000 Medford, » 699,000 960,000 900,000 Revere and Winthrop, . 427,000 774,000 1,121,000 800,000 Melrose, 681,000 681,000 781,000 800,000 Watertown and Belmont, . 360,000 414,000 468,000 650,000 Arlington ♦ • 460,000 760,000 Winchester, r * 430,000 900,000 Swampscott and Nahant, 229,000 324,000 419,000 300,000 Lexington * * 190,000 230,000 Total, 65,683,000 77,549,000 - - Estimated consumption in places marked with an asterisk, . 2,135,000 1,497,000 - - Total for meti-opolitan district, 67,818,000 79,046,000 100,026,000 83,700,000 1895. j HOUSE— No. 500. 7 A comparison of the average daily consumption of water in the whole district in 1894 with the aggregate capacity of the sources shows that the capacity is very little in excess; and, if the con- sumption increases from 1894 to 1898 at the rate that it did from 1890 to 1894, there will be a deficiency in the whole district of about 16,000,000 gallons per day, which will have to be met by ad- ditions to existing works or by the restriction of waste. The extent to which the capacity of existing sources may be increased will be referred to in a subsequent chapter, giving in detail the pres- ent condition of the water supply of each of the cities and towns in the district, and the opportunities for increasing the supply by inde- pendent action. It is sufficient in this general statement to say that, even with complete development of existing sources, it will be diffi- cult, if a very dry year should occur, to provide all the water needed up to the earliest date when a metropolitan supply may be made available, even if those places which now have a surplus of water should assist those insufficiently supplied; and it is therefore of the utmost importance that there should be no delay in procuring a new and ample supply. FuTtTRB Population and Consumption of Water in the Met- EOPOLiTAN District. Appendix No. 1 contains a complete statement of the past, pres- ent and estimated future population of the metropolitan district ; and Appendix No. 2, which is a paper by Mr. Dexter Brackett upon the subject of the consumption of water, contains an estimate of the amount of water that should be allowed for each inhabitant. By a combination of the future population with the amount of water to be provided per inhabitant, the total amount of water required to supply the metropolitan district in the future may be obtained. An estimate of this kind is necessary in order to fix the sizes of aque- ducts and other works with reference to true economy ; that is, in order not to make them so small that they will soon be outgrown, or so large as to provide for an unnecessary length of time in the future. It is obvious, however, that the future growth of popu- lation may be governed by many circumstances which cannot be fore- seen, so that the future population may differ much from the best estimate that can be made. It is also true that the amount of water which will be used per inhabitant in the future is liable to differ as CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. much from any present estimates as the future population. There- fore, while I give in a table below the estimated population and con- sumption of water for eveiy five years from 1895 until 1930, I have ever had in mind in making the investigations that the amount of water required at any future period might be much more or less than the estimated amount. Estimated Population and Consumption of Water in the Metropolitan Dis- trict for Each Five Years from 1895 to 1930. Estimated Population. Daily Consump- tion per Inhabitant. Total Daily Consumption. 1895, 1900, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1930, 984,301 1,148,033 1,328,787 1,526,623 1,743,510 1,979,930 2,238,500 2,521,875 (Gallons.) 85 90 94 97 99 100 100 100 (Gallons.) 84,000,000 103,000,000 125,000,000 148,000,000 173,000,000 198,000,000 224,000,000 262,000,000 Geneeal Remarks eegaedhstg Soueces of Watee Supply. It is proposed in the chapter which follows this one to consider the present condition of the water supply of each of the cities and towns in the metropolitan district, and the opportunities for increasing the supply by independent action. I have thought it would aid those not intimately acquainted with the subject of water supply to a bet- ter understanding of the statements in that chapter, and would lead to the avoidance of repetition, to first make a brief statement with regard to sources of water supply in general. Sources may be divided into two general classes : those in which the supply is taken from the ground, known as ground waters, and those obtained from lakes, ponds, streams and storage reservoirs, known as surface waters. As a' general statement, it may be said that the quantity of water to be obtained from the ground is quite limited, Newton, with a population of 24,379 in 1890, being the largest place within the State supplied in this way ; and the amount to be obtained from any given place cannot be predicted as accurately as in the case of surface waters. 1895. J HOUSE— No. 500. 9 Ground water supplies in this State are generally collected by means of large excavated wells, filter galleries or small tubular wells sunk to a moderate depth in porous ground ; and the quality of water obtained by each of these methods is practically the same. In order that ground water may not deteriorate in quality after being taken from the ground by the growth in it of minute vegetable organisms, it is necessary to keep it from exposure to the light. Some ground waters are derived mainlj'^ or wholly from the rain which falls upon the territory draining toward the well or filter gallery and sinks into the ground to percolate gradually to the well, while others are derived mainly by filtration from a stream or pond near by. In many cases the water percolating from a stream or pond is purified by its passage through the ground, so that it cannot be distinguished from a true ground water. Ground water in unpopulated regions, where the mineral matter in the ground is of such a character that it does not dissolve and make the water hard, is better than any water which can be obtained from surface sources, because the water is wholly free from the minute organi^lns which at times cause disagreeable tastes and odors in nearly all surface waters, and also because the amount of soluble organic matter found in such ground waters is very small. There are, however, cases in which a ground water is not satisfactory. If the source of supply is situated in a populous district, where much foul water is turned into the ground through cesspools or otherwise, or is near a polluted stream or pond, the source is open to suspicion, even though chemical analysis may show that the organic matter has been very nearly all removed from the water by filtration ; and the water may also be objectionable by reason of the hardness caused by the salts contained in the foul water, which cannot be removed from the water by filtration. A ground water may also be objectionable, owing to the presence of iron and other substances which are found in water which has been in contact with decomposable organic matter in the absence of free oxygen. These waters, which lor convenience are termed " iron " waters, are sometimes found when wells are sunk in swampy places, or in soU containing vegetable matter, like the deposits of silt along the banks of the Merrimack River ; and in some instances continuous filtration for a long time from a body of surface water to a well has resulted in changing the character of the filtered water from a good ground water to an iron water. 10 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. There are some indications that all filtered river waters will after a sufficient time be aflfected in this way ; but the experience at Wal- tham, Newton, Woburn and some other places shows that filtration from a surface source to a well may continue for twenty years with- out the filtered water showing signs of deterioration, and it is not known but that the filtration may continue to be satisfactory for a very much longer time. The fact that deterioration has occurred in some instances, however, shows that there is danger in any case that the water obtained in this way may become at some time unsuitable for use. ' I Surface water derived from a water-shed which contains few inhab- itants or none, and is free from swamps in which the water can stand in contact with vegetable matter, is a satisfactory water for all the purposes of a public water supply ; but, as before indicated, it is not equal in quality to the better class of unpolluted ground waters which may have been rendered nearly pure organically by the filtra- tion of the water through the ground. If a surface water is polluted by sewage it becomes dangerous to the health of the community consuming the water. • The greatest danger occurs when the water is supplied to the consumer very soon after the polluting matter enters it; as, for instance, where water is pumped directly from a polluted running stream into the pipes which convey the water supply to a town. If, on the other hand, the water after being polluted is stored for a long time in a large storage reservoir, or passes through a series of reservoirs, so that there is opportunity for the sedimentation or death of the infectious matter, the water is thereby rendered safer for use. A polluted surface water may also be purified by filtration through artificial sand filters, if they are properly constructed and operated. If a surface water is taken from a water-shed containing many swamps, it will contain a large amount of dissolved organic matter and will have a brownish color. It is not 'known that such water is unwholesome, but it is not attractive to the water consumer either in appearance or taste. The improvement of such water may be effected both by the drainage of the swamps, so that the water will not stand in them, and by storage in resei'voirs sufficiently large to permit the bleaching of the water and the decomposition of the or- ganic matter in it. So far as I know, the drainage of swamps upon a large scale has not yet been tried ; but I see no reason to doubt that it will prove effective in improving the taste and appearance of such 1895. J HOUSE— No. 500. H water. The water does not bleach to any considerable extent by- storage in a reservoir if its capacity is small, so that the water is changed as often as once in two or three months in the summer season ; but a marked effect is noticed in cases where the water is not changed on the average oftener than once in eight months ; and by storage for a year or more a water which is not too dark origi- nally will be rendered very nearly colorless. Water stored either in a pond, lake or reservoir is liable to contain at times growths of very minute animal or vegetable organ- isms, which give the water an objectionable taste and odor. There are many conditions which affect the frequency and extent of these growths, of which the most important seems to be the abundance of the supply of suitable nitrogenous food. This food may be fur- nished either by the nitrogenous matters contained in the water entering the reservoir, or it may be derived from the organic matter in the bottom of the reservoir. AVhen a pond or reservoir receives its supply from a thickly pop- ulated district, the water entering the reservoir is almost certain to contain enough food to produce an abundant growth of organisms ; and in the case of reservoirs constructed without the removal of the soil and vegetable matter from the area flowed, a similar effect may be produced on account of the nitrogenous matter taken up by the water from the bottom of the reservoir. It might be expected that the bad effects of neglecting to properly prepare a reservoir for the reception of water would pass away in a few years, and in some cases this has been the result ; but in others growths of organisms have occurred year after year, with little or no diminution, for as many as twenty years. In ponds and well-prepared reservoirs supplied with unpolluted water these growths occur but seldom, and as a rule do not seriously affect the water; so that it is im- portant from the standpoint of taste and odor, as well as of health, that unpolluted sources should be selected, and that the reservoirs should be carefully prepared for the reception of water by the removal of all soil and vegetable matter. The quantity of surface water which may be obtained from a given source depends upon the extent of the drainage area or wateiv-shed of the source, the amount of rainfall upon it, the proportion of the rainfall which finds its way into the streams, and the amount of water which can be stored in the wetter portions of the year for use during the drier portions. The rainfall in a series of years differs but little 12 CfflEF ENGINEEK'S EEPOKT. [Feb. in aniount from place to place in eastern Massachusetts ; and experi- ence has shown that there is not very much diflference in the amount of water which eventually finds its way into the streams per square mile of difierent water-sheds. It is therefore feasible to estimate with a considerable degree of accuracy the amount of water which given water-sheds in connection with given amounts of storage will fiirnish, by using as a basis the accurate records kept by the city of Boston of the quantity of water which has flowed per square mile from the Sudbury Eiver water-shed during each month of the past nineteen years. In the case of large communities which are wholly dependent for water upon their public water supply, it is obviously necessary that the supply should not be deficient at any time ; and it is therefore neces- sary to base all estimates of capacity of sources upon the records of the driest years or series of years which have occurred, and not upon the average of the records. It is extremely fortunate for this pur- pose that the Sudbury River records include two years, 1880 and 1883, which were drier than any other years in the last forty or fifty. Where the capacities of surface water sources are given in this report, they are based upon utilizing all available storage in the driest year or series of years included in the Sudbury River records, and due allowance has been made for evaporation from water sur- faces, for filtration past dams, and other causes which affect the quantity of water which a source will supply. In the case of ground-water supplies the capacity has been esti- mated from the best available information. In most ground-water supplies the capacity of the source is less in summer than at other seasons of the year ; and it is at this time that the consumption of water, particularly in the suburbs, where much water is used for watering lawns, is liable to be the greatest. In comparing the capacity of a ground-water source with the consumption of water, it is therefore necessary to take into account the amount of water con- sumed in the drier portions of the year, rather than the average con- sumption for the whole year. This is much less necessary in simi- lar comparisons with surface-water supplies, because, usually, the amount of water stored is sufficient to maintain the supply for a much longer period. Most of the larger ground-water supplies in the vicinity of Boston are taken from works located by the side of a river or pond, and much of the water is derived by filtration from this surface-water 1895.] HOUSE— No. 500. 13 source. The capacity of the source, therefore, depends upon the amount of water which will filter into and through the ground from the bed of the river or pond, and upon the amount of rain which falls upon the territory from which water percolates directly to the source. It is of course true that in many cases the means of taking water from the ground do not equal the supply to the ground ; but, as soon as the works for drawing water from the ground have suffi- cient capacity to take all of the water which the ground in the locality will furnish, it is obvious that no multiplication of wells will increase the supply to any large extent. It may be feasible, however, to facilitate the filtration of water from a surface source into the ground, and to do so in such a way that the water so filtered will become as thoroughly purified as that which filters by the natural course. The best way for doing this, in cases where the topography and character of the ground will permit, is to pump the water in comparatively small quantities per acre upon dry, porous land back of the filter gallery or wells, and there distribute it evenly and intermittently upon suitably prepared beds, so that it will filter into the ground. This is a method which has not, so far as I know, been tried upon a large scale in this country ; but, from the information now in existence with regard to the filtration of water, it seems altogether probable that satisfactory results may be obtained in this way. It may be necessary, however, to adopt special precautions to prevent the filtration from being interrupted during cold winters. The most important ground-water supplies in the vicinity of Bos- ton are along the banks of the Charles Eiver, where the water sup- : plies of Needham, Dedham, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, "Waltham and Watertown are obtained. The Legislature has already granted .to these towns the right to take 15,000,000 gallons of water per day from this river.* Measurements of the flow of Charles Eiver at Newton Upper Falls from Aug. 21 to Oct. 14, 1845, showed an average daily flow during fifty days when gaugings were taken of 26,500,000 gallons, and an SEverage daily flow during the whole month of September of only 19,100,000 gallons. It is probable that these measurements do not represent the minimum flow of the stream. • The town of Wellesley is not restricted as to the amount of .water which it may take, but for the purposes of this estimate the quantity is assumed to be 1,000,000 gallons per day. 14 CfflEF ENGINEEE'S EEPORT. [Feb. It will therefore be seen that the amount of water to be obtained from these ground-water supplies near the Charles Eiver may be limited not only by the amount which can be made available from the storage in the interstices of the porous ground, and which can be filtered through the ground to the works, but also by the yield of the river at times of extreme drought, unless some provision is made for increasing the minimum flow of the river by storage reservoirs upon it or its branches. Present Condition of the Water Supply of the Cities and Towns in the Meteofolitan District, and the Opportuni- ties FOR increasing THE SuPPLY BY INDEPENDENT ACTION. The diflerent water supplies of the different communities will be described in the order of their size, as follows : — Boston, exclusive of Charlestown district (Cochituatev Works). Charlestown, Somerville, Chelsea and Everett (Mystic Works). Cambridge. Lynn and Saugus. Newton. Maiden. Waliham. Quincy. Hyde Park and Milton. Wobum. Wakefield and Stoneham. Brookline. Medford. Kevere and Winthrop. Melrose Watertown and Belmont. Arlington. Winchester. Swampscott and Nahant. Lexington. Boston, Exclusive of Charlestown District. [Popnlation in 1890, 410,129; estimated population in 1895, 463,069.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — The portion of Boston above indicated is supplied with water from Sudbury Eiver and Lake Co^hituate, and the works for taking water from both of these sources are known collectively as the " Cochituate Works." The total drainage area of these sources is 94.07 square miles. The water from the Cochituate water-shed is stored in Lake Cochit- 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 15 nate, and that from the Sudbury Eiver water-shed in five artificial storage reservoirs, and in Whitehall Pond, which is partly artificial. In addition to these reservoirs, another one, which will have a capacity nearly equal to the aggregate capacity of all of the reser- voirs now in use, is being constructed. This is known as Eeservoir No. 5. The daily capacity of the works, as now constructed, is, in a very dry year, 48,000,000 gallons per day, and when the new reservoir (No. 5) is completed and filled will be 62,000,000 gallons per day. These figures represent the amounts which, if drawn every day in the year, would just empty the reservoirs in the driest years which have occurred since the Sudbury River was first used as a source of water supply, and these years are as dry as any in the last forty or fifty. This basis of reckoning the capacity of the sources is the one commonly used, and is therefore adopted in this report, though a proper regard -for the quality of the water supply requires that the reservoirs should not be emptied, as it necessitates supplying water to the city which has not had the benefit of storage in a reservoir. In years of ordinary rainfall the Cochituate Works would furnish the quantities above stated without drawing the reservoirs to an extremely low level. Consumption of Water. — The average daily consumption of water irom the Cochituate Works during the past five years has been as . follows : — Consumption of Water, Cochituate Works. Population supplied. Annual Increase (Percent). Average Daily Consumption (Gallons). Annual Inckease. Average Daily Consumption Gallons. Per Cent. per Inhabitant (Gallons). 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . . . 1894 4l6,129 427,231 441,232 451,399 456,606 4.1 3.3 2.3 1.2 33,872,000 37,687,000 41,312,000 47,453,000 46,576,000 3,815,000 3,625,000 6,141,000 877,000* 11.3 9.6 14.9 1.8* 83 88 94 105 102 * Decrease. Note. All populations after 1890 are estimated, and the population in 1894 does not include Charlestown, which was supplied with water from the Cochituate Works from Sept. 12, 1894, until the end of the year. 16 CHIEF ENGINEER'S EEPORT. [Feb. It will be noticed that the daily consumption for the past two years, as given in the above table, is substantially the same as the daily capacity of the existing works in a very dry year ; and if the consumption should increase in the near fixture at the same rate that it has firom 1890 to 1894, the capacity of the works, as they will be developed by the construction of Reservoir No. 5, would be reached in 1899. If the Cochituate "Works had to supply in the future only the ter- ritory now supplied by them, the more effective restriction of waste might defer for a short time the necessity of constructing works to furnish an additional supply ; but this is not the case, as the Charles- town district of Boston, and the cities of Somerville, Chelsea and Everett are now supplied by the city of Boston with water from Mystic Lake, which is of unsatisfactory quality and inadequate in quantity. In a year no drier than that which has just passed * it has been found necessary to use a temporary pump it Mystic Lake to raise water into the aqueduct leading to the main pumps, and to supply Charlestown with water from the Cochituate Works for several months. Under these circumstances it is obviously improper for the city of Boston to depend wholly upon the restriction of waste to prevent a shortage of water. Quality of Water. — The streams which feed Lake Cochituate sup- ply water of nearly the same character as those which feed the storage reservoirs upon the Sudbury River ; but Lake Cochituate furnishes • a water having but little color, while the Sudbury River reservoirs fiimish water having a marked brownish tinge. This difference is due to the fact that Lake Cochituate has a much larger storage capacity in proportion to the quantity of water entering it than the • Although the year 1894 has been much drier than the arerage year, the flow from the Sudbury Biver water-shed during the months from June to November, inclusive, was two and one-half times that during the corresponding months in 1880. A comparison by months from April to November is as follows : — Yield of Sudbury River Watershed in Galloru per Day per Square Mile. MONTH. 1880. 1894. MOKTH. 1880. 1804. April, .... May June, .... July 1,168,000 S14,000 176,000 177,000 1,640,000 840,000 419,000 161,000 August, September, . October, November, . 119,000 80,000 101,000 203,000 209,000 160,000 374,000 836,000 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 17 reservoirs upon the Sudbury Eiver, and the water in this lake there- fore has an opportunity to become very much improved by bleach- ing and other changes which take place from long storage. When the Sudbury water was first introduced into Boston, Lake Cochituate continued for several years to furnish by far the larger part of the water used, so that the higher color of the Sudbury water did not produce any great change in the color of the water supplied to the city; bat the proportion of Sudbury water has been continually increasing, until at the present time about two-thirds of the supply comes from this source, and the water supplied to the city has a much higher color than formerly. Both the Cochituate and the Sudbury water-sheds have a large population upon them for water-sheds used as sources of water sup- ply. The population on the Cochituate water-shed at the present time is estimated to be 14,500, equal to 770 per square mile ; and upon the Sudbury water-shed 28,300, equal to 376 per square mile. This makes the total population upon the two water-sheds 42,800, equal to 455 per square mile. Much has already been done toward the protection of these waters from pollution by diverting sewage to points outside of the water- sheds. Sewerage systems for this purpose have already been con- structed by Marlborough, Westborough and Framingham, the system at Framingham taking the sewage from the principal village. South Ftamingham, and from the Eeformatory Prison for Women at Sher- born. The town of Natick is also preparing to divert its sewage to a point beyond the limits of these water-sheds. The sewerage sys- tems already constructed and that to be built by Natick provide for a portion of the territory containing about 26,900 people, leaving a population in the villages without sewers and scattered about the water-sheds of 15,900, equal to 169 per square mile. In addition to the diversion of the sewage, the city of Boston now pumps the water of Pegan Brook, which flows from the main village of Natick into Lake Cochituate, upon filter beds and purifies it by filtration before permitting it to flow into the lake. Plans for filter- ing in the same manner the water of a brook which flows from the city of Marlborough have been made and land has been acquired for this purpose. By the construction of reservoirs careftilly prepared for the recep- tion of water by the removal of the soil and vegetable matter the city 18 CfflEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. has already improved to a considerable extent the quality of the Sud- bury water, and a still further improvement will result from the additional storage to be provided by the large reservoir which is now being constructed. The city has also obtained authority from the Legislature (chapter 434 of the Acts of 1892) to drain swamps in "Westborough and Hopkinton, and plans have been prepared for this work, but they have not yet been carried out. A consideration of this subject, together with an estimated cost of draining all of the swamps upon the Sudbury water-shed, is given in a report of Mr. Desmond FitzGerald, resident engineer of the additional water sup- ply of the city of Boston, in Appendix No. 3. It will be feasible without excessive cost to divert still further and purify the sewage of the population upon the Sudbury water-shed. The water from the Sudbury River as now supplied to the city of Boston is not nearly as good a water as it is desirable to supply to the metropolitan district ; but it is capable of being improved by the methods already indicated, and will continue to be valuable as an auxiliary source of supply after a better supply is obtained from some new source. With the sewage of Natick diverted, the Cochit- uate water will be better than the Sudbury, and this source, if prop- erly cared for, will probably continue to furnish a satisfactory water. Future Supply. — It has already been stated that the construction of Reservoir No. 5 will not obviate the necessity for taking imme- diate steps to procure a still further supply of water for the terri- tory now supplied by the city of Boston, or even for the territory now included within the city limits. The new reservoir will, how- ever, develop the Sudbury system to such an extent that no further development will produce results commensurate with the expense,* so that the further supply will have to come from some new source. While, from a financial standpoint, Boston may be amply able to obtain a new supply from almost any source which would be avail- able to the metropolitan district, works for storing and conveying large quantities of water can be built so much more economically in • In making this statement I have not taken into account a possible development of a small water-shed between the lowest permanent dam on the Sudbury Biver and the point at which the city took the waters of the river undef the Sudbury River act, although it may be advisable to develop this territory so that it will furnish a portion, if not all, of the 1,500,000 gallons per day which the city of Boston is obliged to let flow down the Sudbury River below the point at which It took the water. The amount to be obtained from this development Is so small that it does not materially affect the general statement above made. 1895.] HOUSE— No. 500. 19 proportion to the amount of water stored and conveyed than works upon a smaller scale, that it will undoubtedly be much cheaper for the city, as well as better for the other municipalities in the metro- politan district, that the city obtain its supply as a part of the district rather than independently. Charlestxywn District of Boston, Somerville, Chelsea and Everett. [Population in 1890, 117,477; estimated population in 1895, 141,941.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — These places are supplied from the Upper Mystic Lake by works owned by the city of Boston. The total area of the water-shed of the lake is 27,75 square miles. The only storage under the control of the city of Bos- ton is in the Upper Mystic Lake, which has been raised, by means of a dam, seven feet above the level of high tide in Boston harbor. The capacity of this source was estimated in 1874 to be 7,000,000 gallons per day in a very dry year, and in 1883, a very dry year, when the average daily consumption of water from this source was a little less than 7,000,000 gallons per day, the lake was lowered to a level 7.89 feet below high-water mark, or, in other words, nearly to the level at which it would be necessary to pump the water from the lake into the aqueduct in order to maintain the supply, showing that the estimate made in 1874 was substantially correct. There are ponds upon the Mystic water-shed not controlled by the city of Boston, and in an emergency water might be obtained from these ponds, adding somewhat to the capacity of this source ; and there is the other method of adding somewhat to the estimated capacity, which has been "adopted on several occasions ; namely, of pumping water with auxiliary pumps from the lake into the aqueduct supplying the main pumps. During the past year, notwithstanding the fact already stated, that the year was not an extremely dry one, and that Charlestown was supplied for several months from the Co- chituate Works, it was found necessary to pump from the lake untU its level was lowered 12.08 feet below high-water mark, and 3.58 feet below the level at which a full supply will run by gravity through the aqueduct to the main pumps. If the year had been as dry as the year 1880, I estimate that it would have been necessary to draw the lake 20 feet lower than it has been drawn this year, in order to sup- ply the quantity of water which has been used from the lake during 20 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. the year ; and it should be remembered that this does not include any water for the supply of Charlestown after September 12. I believe so great a lowering of the lake is impracticable, both on account of the difficulty of safely maintaining the supply when water has to be lifted so great a distance with temporary pumps, and because lowering the water so far below the level of the lower Mystic Lake would be likely to cause such a rapid filtration of sea- water into the upper Mystic Lake as to render the water in it unfit for use. The lowering during the past summer caused the water to contain a somewhat larger amount of salt during the last three months of the year than ever before.* It is obvious that the amount of water drawn from these works is already far in excess of their safe capacity in a very dry year. Consumption of Water. — The average daily consumption of water from the Mystic Works during the past five years has been as follows : — Consumption of Water, Mystic Works. Population supplied-t Annual Increase (Per Cent). Average Dally Consumption (Gallons). Ahnuai, Inokease. Average Dally Consumption TEAR. Gallons. Per Cent. per Inhabitant (OaUons). 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 117,477 123,389 129,757 136,260 139,750 5.0 6.2 6.0 2.6 8,301,000 9,055,000 9,811,000 10,743,000 10,282,000 754,000 756,000 932,000 461,000t 9.1 8.4 9.5 4.3t 71 73 76 79 74 The fact that the consumption of water in the Mystic district not only far exceeds the safe capacity of the works, but is rapidly increas- ing with the growth of population and the increasing use of water, shows that it is imperative that a further supply should be furnished for the communities forming this district without delay. • See analyeee of water in Appendix No. 5. t The populations given in this column include a small section o{ SomerriUe, which is supplied with water from the Cambridge water works, and the Charlestown district of Boston, which from Sept. 12, 1894, to the end of the year, was supplied ftom the Cocbitnate works. All populations after 1890 are estimated. % Decrease. 1895.J HOUSE — No. 500. 21 Quality of Water. — In its natural condition the Mystic water-shed would furnish water of good quality, as it contains few swamps ; but there are two large towns and one cit}-, and many tanneries and other factories upon the water-shed, from which polluting matters find their way either directly or indirectly into the streams. The population upon the water-shed in 1894 is estimated to be 27,300, equal to 984 per square mile; and, as the towns are all within the metropolitan district, the population is rapidly increas- ing and is likely to continue to increase even more rapidly in the future. There are several large- ponds on the line of the main streams which supply water to Mystic Lake, and much of the polluting mat- ters discharged from the cities, towns and factories upon the water- shed is either retained in these ponds or rendered innoxious by the slow passage of the water through them; and if they should be drawn down, the water would enter Mystic Lake in a much more polluted condition than at the present time. Both the State Board of Health and the Boston Water Board have on several occasions expressed the opinion that Mystic Lake is not a suitable source from which to take a public water supply, and I certainly agree with this opinion. The construction of sewerage sys- tems in the towns upon its water-shed, discharging into the sewers of the metropolitan system, will undoubtedly have a favorable effect upon the quality of the water ; but, in view of the very large popu- lation at the present time and the probability of rapid increase in the future, I believe that no attempt should be made to retain this lake as a source of water supply for domestic purposes. It may, however, prove desirable to continue its use or to use it in the future as a source for supplying water for street sprinkling and manufact- uring and mechanical uses which do not require a potable water. Future Supply. — There is no near source from which these four communities either separately or together can obtain a supply of good water at a reasonable cost. The Shawsheen Eiver, which will be referred to subsequently in a chapter relating to sources investigated, is the nearest source from which any large supply could be obtained ; and a supply from this source would cost much more in proportion to the amount of water Obtained, and would be inferior in quality to water that can be obtained from other sources which have been investigated with refer- ence to a supply for the whole of the metropolitan district. 22 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. Cambridge. [Population in 1890, 70,028 ; estimated population in 1895, 80,917.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — The original source of supply of this city was Fresh Pond, which is located within the city limits. In 1887 an additional supply for the city was obtained from Stony Brook, which at the point of taking in "Waltham is about 1\ miles from Fresh Pond. The water is con- veyed from Stony Brook to Fresh Pond through an iron pipe 39,350 feet long, 5,010 feet of which is 36 inches in diameter and the re- maining 34,340 feet 30 inches in diameter. The Stony Brook water-shed has an area of about 22.9 square miles, exclusive of the water-shed of Sandy Pond, which is at the extreme upper end of the brook, and from which practically all of the water which it will furnish in a dry year is used to supply the towns of Concord and Lincoln. At the point of taking. Stony Brook has been dammed, thereby creating a storage reservoir holding 354,000,000 gallons. The water-shed of Fresh Pond is very small, and the amount of water which it will furnish has been reduced from time to time by the construction of sewers. It is now used as a receiving and stor- age reservoir from which to pump water for use in the city. Its storage capacity down to a point where a sufficient quantity of ' water will flow by gravity from it into the pump-well at the pump- ing station (8.35 feet below high-water mark) is 430,000,000 gal- lons, making the total storage capacity of the combined works 784,000,000 gallons. The capacity of the works in a very dry year is 7,200,000 gallons per day. By setting up a temporary pump at Fresh Pond and pumping into the conduit leading to the main pumps, as has been done at Mystic Lake during the past year and as was done at Cambridge in 1887, the pond might be drawn down to a level 15 feet below high- water mark, making available an addi- tional storage of 285,000,000 gallons, and increasing the capacity of the sources in an emergency to 8,500,000 gallons per day. The capacity of the pipe leading from Stony Brook Reservoir to Fresh Pond, as given by the city engineer of Cambridge, is about 8,500,000 gallons per day. Consumption of Water. — The average daily consumption of water in Cambridge during the past five years has been as follows : — 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 23 Consumption of Water, Cambridge. Population supplied.* Annual Increase (Per Cent). Average Daily Consumption (GalloDB). Ahnttal Increase. Average Dally Consumption YEAK, Gallons. Per Cent. per Inhabitant (Gallons). 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 70,028 73,640 76,631 79,469 79,890 5.2 4.1 3.7 0.6 4,566,000 4,857,000 5,409,000 6,181,000 5,777,000 291,000 662,000 772,000 404,000t 6.4 11.4 14.3 6.5t 65 66 71 78 72 By reference to the above table it will be seen that the consump- tion of water has increased 1,211,000 gallons from 1890 to 1894; and if it should continue to increase at the same rate, the capacity of the present works in a dry year, without using an auxiliary pump at Fresh Pond, would be reached in 1899. These figures show that the consumption of water in Cambridge is approaching the full capacity of the present works. Quality of Water. — Fresh Pond is situated in a thickly populated •district, but its water has been protected from pollution to a con- siderable extent by taking a large area of land around its mar- gins, and by constructing sewers to prevent the portion of the surface water from the populated portions of its water-shed from flowino' into it. Some water which has once been polluted enters it by filtration through the ground, particularly when the pond is drawn to a low level. When Fresh Pond derived its supply wholly from its own water- shed, — that is, before any water was turned into it from Stony Brook, it contained a colorless water which had become hard owing to the wastes from the population upon the water-shed, which entered it mainly by percolation through the ground. These wastes, even if well purified by filtration, contained nitrogen in one form or another, which promoted the growth of the minute organisms found • The populations given In this column do not include a small section of Somerville which is supplied with water from the Cambridge water works. AU populations after 1890 are esti- mated. t Decrease. 24 CHIEF ENGINEEK'S EEPOET. [Fel>. in water, and therefore caused, indirectly, disagreeable tastes and odors at times in the water of the pond. It seems probable that in the future, when the territory around Fresh Pond becomes still more densely populated than at present, it will be necessary, in order to prevent the pollution of the water, to provide sewers or drains all round the pond, to intercept surface water, and to keep the pond full so that there will be no underground flow into it. The water, of Stony Brook is soft, and contains considerable vegetable coloring matter derived from the swamps upon the water- shed in which the water stands or through which it passes. The storage reservoir at the lower end ot the brook is not large enough to cause the water to bleach to any considerable extent. The esti- mated population upon the water-shed is 2,460, equal to 107 per square mile. The inhabitants upon the water-shed at the present time are largely engaged in farming and market gardening, although there is an increasing number of those who do business in the city of Boston who have summer homes upon it. As more and more of the Stony Brook water is diverted into Fresh Pond with the increasing consumption of water in Cambridge, the water in the pond is changing in character and approaching more nearly that of the water of Stony Brook ; and in time the quality of the water in the pond may be expected to become nearly the same as that of the water in the brook. Future Supply. — The area of the Stony Brook water-shed is so large (22.9 square miles) that with sufficiently large storage reser- voirs upon it a much larger quantity of water than at present might be obtained. The city of Cambridge has already taken the preliminary steps toward increasing the capacity of its works by appropriating money for the construction of a storage reservoir on Hobbs Brook, a branch of Stony Brook, by making surveys and estimates, and by acquiring land for this reservoir. The approximate area, capacity and cost of this reservoir, as given in the report of the Cambridge Water Board for 1893, are respectively 350 acres, 1,500,000,000 gallons and $600,000.* As a result of surveys made by the city of Cambridge since these estimates were made, it has been found advis- * The letter of the city engineer of Cambridge, accompanying these estimates, states; "I have prepared an estimate of the probable expense of the proposed extension to the water sup- ply system of the city. The estimates given are prepared from snch data as I could procure in the limited time, and must be considered as approximate only." 1895. J HOUSE — No. 500. 25 able to locate the dam farther down Hobbs Brook than was origi- nally intended, thereby forming a much larger reservoir. The area to be flowed by the dam in the new location is 653 acres, and the capacity of the basin is approximately 2,500,000,000 gallons. These figures will be modified somewhat, as the area will be decreased by the filling of shallow portions of the reservoir, and the capacity will be somewhat increased by the removal of soil. The depth of water at the dam of the proposed reservoir is about 23 feet, and the average depth, disregarding the changes due to the removal of soil, 12 feet. At a point about half-way up the basin, where the depth of water is 14 feet, it is proposed to construct a sec- ond dam, which will not raise the water any higher than the main dam, but will permit it to be held at high- water mark while the water in the lower portion of the basin is being drawn down. Above this intermediate dam it is intended to remove the soil and vegetable mat- ter, and to improve the reservoir by excavating and filling so that the water will have a minimum depth of 8 feet. Below the dam it is proposed to remove all of the soil from cultivated land and where the depth is less than 15 feet, but not to touch the flat meadow land in the bottom of the valley, where the peaty soil has considerable depth and its complete removal would be very costly. The area of the water-shed above the lower dam on Hobbs Brook, as measured from the State map, is 5.8 square miles, exclusive of the area of the reservoir. The capacity of the Cambridge works after the construction of this reservoir and the addition of a second pipe of suflScient size from the Stony Brook Eeservoir to Fresh Pond will be 13,200,000 gal- lons per day in the driest year, increasing the capacity of the works 6,000,000 gallons. Another reservoir of the same size as the Hobbs Brook reservoir would only increase the capacity of these works 3,000,000 gallons per day, and the cost would probably be too great in proportion to the results to be obtained to warrant the expendi- ture. Lynn and Saugus. [Population in 1890 : Lynn, 65,727; Sangns, 3,673; total, 59,400. Estimated population in 1898! Lynn, 61,146; Saugus, 4,638; total, 65,784.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply . — Both of these places are now supplied with water from works owned by the city of Lynn. Water was first introduced into Lynn in 1871, and for many years the supply was obtained from two artificial storage 26 CfflEF ENGINEEE'S KEPORT. [Feb. reservoirs known as Breed's Pond aad Birch Pond, which were built upon tributaries of the Saugus River ; the former, in 1846, as a mill reservoir, and the latter in 1872. In 1884 an additional supply was obtained by taking two other tributaries of the river, known as Hawkes Brook and Penny Brook, and connecting them with the existing works. In order to still further increase the supply, two more artificial reservoirs, known as Glen Lewis Pond and Walden Pond, were built upon Penny Brook, and were filled for the first time in the latter part of 1889. The brush and wood were removed from these reservoirs, but the soil, mud and other vegetable matter were not removed ; and as a consequence, although this water is free from sewage pollution, it has contained such abun- dant growths of minute organisms during a large portion of the time as to be wholly unsuitable for drinking. In the latter part of 1893 the city exercised the authority granted it by the Legislature to take the water of Saugus River, and since then this water has been diverted from time to time either to the city or to the existing reservoirs. The State Board of Health, in a communication to the Lynn "Water Board, dated April 4, 1893, expressed the opinion that the Saugus River, at the point from which Lynn now takes a portion of its water supply, receives so much polluting matter from the towns of Wakefield and Reading as to render it an unfit source from which to take a water supply unless the water is very thoroughly purified by filtration. It will therefore be seen that if the capacity of the Lynn sources is based upon the quantity of water which they will furnish, without regard to its quality, it will be much larger than if reckoned upon the basis of the amount of potable and wholesome water available. After the addition of Hawkes and Penny brooks, but before the construction of Glen Lewis and Walden ponds, the capacity of the Lynn sources was about 2,950,000 gallons per day. After the con- struction of these reservoirs, but before the addition of the Saugus River, the capacity was about 3,450,000 gallons of water per day. The natural flow of the Saugus River added to the existing sources increases the capacity to about 8,000,000 gallons per day, provided the water is taken regardless of its quality ; and if additional storage reservoirs can be built, or the present ones enlarged, a still larger quantity of water may be obtained. 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 27 Consumption of Water. — The average daily consumption of water in Lynn and Saugus during the past five years has been as follows : — ( Oonsumpt ion of Water, Lynn and Saug MS. Annual Increase Average Annual Increase. . Average Daily Population. Dail.v Consumption (Per Cent.). (Gallons). Gallons. Per Cent. (Gallons). 1890, . 69,400 3.3 2,657,000 474,000 17.8 45 1891, . 61,372 6.2 3,131,000 418,000 13.3 51 1892, . 64,570 5.9 3,549,000 195,000 5.5 56 1893, . 68,378 4.8* 3,744,000 276,000 7.4 55 1894, . 65,120 4,020,000 - 62 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. * Decrease. It will be seen from this table that the consumption of water in Lynn and Saugus is already in excess of the safe capacity of the sources, exclusive of the Saugus River, in a dry year ; and as the Saugus River, considered as a whole, should be excluded, it is obvious that Lynn and Saugus need an additional supply at the present time, but it may be feasible to obtain this supply from por- tions of the Saugus River water-shed. Quality of Water. — There is only a very small population upon the water-sheds of the four reservoirs of the city of Lynn, and the city has acquired large tracts of land about them to protect them from pollution. It may therefore be said that if the Saugus River water were excluded the Lynn water would be very nearly free from any dangerous contamination. The waters have, however, the brownish color which water acquires from contact with vegetable matter in swamps and very shallow ponds; and, as already iudi- .eated, the water of Glen Lewis and Walden ponds contains such abundant growths of minute organisms during much of the time as to be wholly unsuitable for drinking. The water of Breed's Pond is'generally better than that of Birch Pond. The Saufus River at Howlett's Dam has a drainage area of 16.64 square miles, as determined by measurements from the topograph- ical map of the State, and upon this area there is estimated to be a 28 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. population of 11,800, equal to 709 per square mile of drainage area. It is the large amount of polluting matter which enters the stream from the more densely populated portions of this district which makes the water of the Saugus River, as a whole, unsafe for drinking. Future Supply. — The sources to which the city of Lynn would naturally look for an increase of its water supply are the Saugus and Ipswich rivers and their tributaries. I will consider firs# the possi- bilities of the Saugus River and its tributaries. The water-shed of this river may, for the purpose of this consid- eration, be divided into several parts, as follows : — Area ofWater- shed (Square Miles). 1. The Wakefield branch, exclusive of Crystal Lake, . 2. Lake Quannapowitt and tributaries, 3. Beaver Dam Brook, 4. Filling's Pond and tributaries, 5. The remaining area tributary to the main river above the dam of Howlett's Pond, Total above Howlett's Dam, exclusive of Crystal Lake, 6. Central Brook, Total, including Central Brook, 3.08 4.35 1.76 2.05 4.52 15.76 3.00 18.76 The reason for excluding the water-shed of Crystal Lake from the water-shed of the Wakefield branch is that the waters of this lake are now nearly all taken, and in the future will be wholly taken by the Wakefield Water Company. Upon the remaining 3.08 square miles of water-shed of the Wakefield branch there is a popula- tion of about 3,726, equal to 1,210 per square mile ; and this popula- tion is increasing rapidly, so that it is obvious that the waters of this branch should not be used for water supply purposes. Upon the 4.35 square miles of water-shed of Lake Quannapowitt. are situated nearly the whole of the town of Reading and a portion of the town of Wakefield, making the total population about 5,854, equal to 1,346 per square mile. Regarding this lake, the State Board of Health advised the town of Reading, in March, 1889, that "the large population upon the water-shed of Lake Quannapowitt and the present quality of its water render it unfit for a domestic water 1895.J HOUSE— No. 500. 29 supply." On April 14, 1893, the State Board of Health advised the Wakefield Water Company that " it has already expressed and still holds the opinion that the water of Quannapowitt Lake, one of the sources named in your original act of incorporation, is now unfit for the purposes of a domestic water supply. This opinion as to the quality of Quannapowitt Lake water applies to taking water directly from the lal^p, but if the water was taken aftei; it had been thoroughly purified by filtering for a long distance through the ground or by any other thorough method of filtration, it might be used." I certainly agree with the opinion that this is not a fit source from which to take water for drinking. The 4.52 square miles of water-shed remaining tributary to the main river above Howlett's Dam, after excluding the other four areas given in the table, have very little population upon them ; but this portion of the river receives the overflow of polluted water from Lake Quannapowitt at its upper end and toward its lower end the waters of the Wakefield branch. Even if these polluted waters were diverted, there still remains the objection to the utilization of this area, that ^ there is along the river a very large area of wet swamp and meadow, probably as much as one square mile ; and water flowing into this swampy area takes up so much vegetable mat- ter in standing in and passing through it as to become unsuitable for water supply purposes, if not dangerous to health. With the exclusion of these polluted waters and of the territory which contains such large swampy areas, there remains, above How- lett's Dam, only Filling's Pond and its tributaries and Beaver Dam Brook, having together a water-shed of 3.81 square miles, to furnish a water supply. Filling's Pond is an artificial reservoir, formed many years ago by flooding a level meadow to a depth of four feet. Its area is about eighty-five acres, and its average depth is about three feet. Regard- ing this source the State Board of Health advised the Revere Water Company, in 1888, that "the water of Filling's Fond, the proposed source of additional supply, when examined in October, 1888, was of fair quality ; but, from the small depth of the pond, it will prob- ably be unfit for use when drawn down two or three feet during the dry months, as it would be if used as a water supply for Revere and Winthrop." If this pond were raised, a very large additional area would be flooded to a small depth, and a reservoir would be formed which would be even less satisfactory than the present one. I do 30 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. not see how this source can be made a wholly satisfactory one for supplying water for Lynn and Saugus; although, as it is near Hawkes Brook, one of the present sources, it may prove valuable for furnishing, temporarily, an additional supply until a better water can be obtained. Beaver Dam Brook is farther from Lynn than Filling's Pond, and there is no pond or reservoir of any considerable size uppn it at the present time. I am not fully informed as to whether or not it is feasible to build upon it a good storage reservoir. If Filling's Pond and Beaver Dam Brook were connected with the existing reservoirs by conduits of ample size, and there should be constructed on Hawkes Brook a reservoir, for which there is said to be a suitable site, the capacity of the Lynn works would be increased about 2,130,000 gallons per day, making a total capacity of 5,580,000 gallons. The table already given shows that the consumption of water in Lynn increased from 2,657,000 gallons per day in 1890 to 4,020,000 gallons per day in 1894, making the average increase per year 341,000 gallons. With the same increase for each year after 1894, the capacity of the Lynn sources, with the addition of these two tributaries, would only provide a sufficient additional supply until the year 1899. Central Brook is a tributary of Saugus River which takes its rise in the village of Greenwood in the southern part of the town of Wakefield, and enters the river from the west below Howie tt's Dam. The Revere Water Company asked the advice of the State Board of Health with regard to this source in 1889, and the Board then replied that " Central Brook, on account of the population upon the water-shed and the character of the valley immediately adjoin- ing the brook, will furnish a water of somewhat inferior quality, which will become worse with the growth of population, until before many years it will be unfit for water-supply purposes." Since this advice was given there has been a very rapid growth of population near the headwaters of this brook, and in my opinion it has become unfit for use for water-supply purposes. All the foregoing statements have related to taking water directly from the streams and ponds. None of these waters, with the excep- tion of the brook from Wakefield, are so much polluted but that if they were filtered a sufficient distance through the ground they 1895. J HOUSE — No. 500. 31 might become purified so as to be suitable for water-supply pur- poses. There is a large area of sandy land in Wakefield, lying near the Saugus Eiver, adjacent to the extensive swampy area already men- tioned. With the view of ascertaining whether a ground-water supply, derived in part from the river by filtration, might be obtained at this place to supplement the present supply of Lynn and Saugus, I caused tests to be made by driving wells and pumping from them with a hand pump. The water so obtained was tested both by inspection and by analysis. There were in all fifteen of these wells, each two and one-half inches in diameter, and they were driven to depths ranging from seventeen to sixty-two feet and averaging thirty-seven feet below the surface. Eight of the wells were driven until they reached ledge. The material penetrated was for the most part a moderately fine sand, from which water could not be pumped freely with a pipe having an open end, because as soon as the pumping was begun the sand would run in and fill the pipe ; but by using a strainer at the end of the pipe, better results were obtained, and at most of the points where tests were made there is little doubt but that a moderate quantity of water might be obtained from driven wells by using strainers adapted to taking water from the material penetrated. Chemical analyses were made of the water from eight of the wells, and in most cases it was found to be of good quality, while in the others the water either contained enough iron to make it somewhat objectionable for laundry purposes, or to lead to the expectation that it might become unsuitable if water were pumped regularly from the locality in which these wells were driven. The territory covered by these tests was very irregular in shape, as arms of the swamp in several places extended into the sandy and gravelly land, •cutting it into islands and peninsulas. The greatest distance between extreme borings in one direction was about 4, 100 feet, and in the other about 3,000 feet. It was thought that if water were to be pumped from the ground at this place it would be necessary to throw dams across some of the arms of the swamp, so that the river water would not run into them and injure the quality of the ground water by filtering down through the mud. With the river water shut out in this way, it is thought that a system of driven wells extending over most of the area tested might 32 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. furnish 1,000,000 gallons of water per day, but would not be likely to furnish more than this amount. As this quantity of water would only provide for about three years' increase in the consumption of water in Lynn and Saugus at the rate at which the consump- tion increased from 1890 to 1894, and the works would be quite costly in proportion to the amount of water obtainable, this does not seem to be a desirable plan for increasing the water supply of these places. It is not improbable that a somewhat larger quantity of good water could be obtained from the ground at this place if it were kept saturated by pumping water from the Saugus River upon the sandy areas in the vicinity of the wells and filtering it intermittently into the ground. This method has already been referred to on page 13 of this report ; but owing to the fineness of the sand, which would interfere to some extent with the filtration of the water into the ground and through the ground in the vicinity of wells, and the pos- sible difficulty of satisfactorily filtering a water which has such a high color and contains so much organic matter as that of the Saugus River, it was thought that this place was an unfavorable one for adopting this experimental method of purifying water. I have also considered the question of filtering the water of this river through artificial filters ; but I should not advise the adoption of this plan if good water could be obtained in other ways. The other source of supply mentioned, namely, the Ipswich River, is the nearest available source other than the Saugus River which will furnish any large quantity of water for Lynn. This river does not have a very large population upon its water-shed, but it is polluted to such an extent that it cannot be regarded as a safe source from which to take a water supply unless the water is subse- quently filtered or stored for a considerable time. Moreover, there are so many swamps on the water-shed that its water has more color than that of any other source examined during the investigations for a metropolitan water supply, so that, even if the stream were entirely free from artificial pollution, its water woufd not be of satisfactory quality for domestic use without purification. It was thought possible that a good ground-water supply might be obtained from the valley of this river ; but a superficial examination of the valley indicated that it was very doubtful if this would be the case, and, even if a good ground-water supply could be obtained, it would 1895.] HOUSE— No. 500. 33 probably cost more than water from the proposed metropolitan system. In addition to the foregoing sources the Lynn authorities have recently called my attention to Cedar Brook, a tributary of Sluice Pond, in the northerly part of Lynn, as a further available source of supply, with a water-shed of 1.2 square miles. If the water of this source should prove to be of good quality the increase in the supply by adding it would be equal to the increase in consumption for two years at the rate at which the consumption increased from 1890 to 1894. There is an objection to taking the water of this brook per- manently because it is the main feeder of two large ponds in Lynn on the borders of which there is a large population, and the water of the brook is an important factor in maintaining the water of these ponds in proper sanitary condition. Newton. [Population in 1890, 24,379 ; estimated population in 1895, 28,470.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — This city obtains its supply of water from the ground near the Charles River in the town of Needham. When the works were first completed in 1876 the supply was taken from an open filter basin 1,575 feet long. In 1890 the collecting system was extended along the river, making the total length 3,795 feet. When this extension was completed it was estimated that the works would furnish 2,000,000 gallons per day in the driest months of the year. In 1894 the consumption of water had so nearly reached the capacity of the works that it became necessary to make a farther extension of the collecting system up the river, and the total length of this system is now about 7,050 feet. The whole of this system is now a covered filter gallery or conduit, made in part of wood and in part of vitrified clay pipe ; and con- nected with this conduit at intervals are many driven wells, extending down into the more porous strata which are found at a considerable depth. A portion of the water comes to the filter gallery from the land side, but a large part of the supply is water which has filtered into the ground from the river. The capacity of the source is there- fore largely dependent upon the amount of water which can get into the ground from the river either by filtration through meadows and the bottoms of ditches when the river overflows its banks in the spring, or by filtration through the river bottom and sloping banks 34 CHIEF ENGINEEK'S EEPORT. [Feb. in the vicinity of the collecting system. The amount of water stored in the interstices of the porous ground in the spring of the year when the river is high is also an important factor, as this storage furnishes a reserve which can be drawn upon in the summer, when there is a diminished amount of water coming from the land side and filtering from the river into the ground. It is estimated that the works as now constructed will furnish 2,300,000 gallons of water per day in the driest portions of the year ; but, as the con- sumption of water at such times is higher than the average for the whole year, the capacity of the works in a very dry year is likely to be reached by an average daily consumption throughout the year of about 2,000,000 gallons per day. Consumption of Water. — The average daily consumption of water in Newton during the past five years has been as follows : — Consumption of Water, Newton. Popula- tion. Annual Increase (Per Cent.). Average DaUy Consumption (Gallons). AsNUAL INOKEASE. Average Daily Con- sumption per Inhab- itant (Gallons). Average Daily Consumption, June to October, Inclusive. YEAK. Gallons. Percent. Gallons. Gallons per In- habitant. 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894,* . 24,379 25,400 26,450 27,500 28,144 4.2 4.1 4.0 2.3 985,000 1,065,000 1,288,000 1,870,000 1,623,000 80,000 223,000 82,000 253,000 8.1 20.9 6.0 18.5 40 42 49 .'lO 1,115,000 1,181,000 1,446,000 1,525,000 1,921,000 46 46 55 65 68 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. * Since May 1, 1894, an additional amount of about 350,000 gallons of water per day has been supplied for manufacturing purposes. This table shows that the consumption of water during the months from June to October, inclusive, has increased from 1,115,000 gal- lons per day in 1890 to 1,571,000 gallons per day in 1894, exclusive of the 350,000 gallons per day supplied for manufacturing pur- poses, making the annual increase 114,000 gallons. If the increase were to continue at the same rate in the future, the estimated capacity of the works with their present development would be reached in 1897 ; or if the city were to cease supplying the 350,000 gallons per day for manufacturing purposes, the present works would maintain the supply until 1900, when it would be nee- ,1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 35 essary to still farther extend the present works or otherwise obtain an additional supply. Quality of Water. — The water obtained from the Newton works is of excellent quality, and, as it is kept from exposure to the light both before and after it is pumped, it is a very satisfactory water when delivered to the consumers. The water has been analyzed frequently by the State Board of Health for many years, and the analyses do not indicate that it is deteriorating. There is, however, the possi- bility already referred to on page 10 of this report, that any filtered river water may in time become of unsatisfactory quality. Future Supply. — The city of Newton has already taken the land along the Needham bank of the Charles Eiver from a point a short -distance below the end of its present works to the boundary line , between Needham and Dedham, a total length of about 15,500 feet. It has also taken land on the opposite or Newton side of the river, .^extending northerly from the Boston line, for a length of about 7,500 feet. This land was taken with a view to developing the sup- ply by extending through it collecting galleries or pipes, similar to those already jconstructed, in which the water can be drawn down until it is about six feet below the normal level of the water in the river. It is estimated that a system of this kind can be made to supply 5,000,000 gallons of water per day during the driest portion of the year, and that this quantity of water will be sufficient for the requirements of the city of Newton until about the year 1908, at which time it is estimated that the city will have a population of about 51,000. The city now has authority to take from the river 5,000,000 gallons of water daily. Maiden. [Population in 1890, 23,031 ; estimated population in 1895, 30,240.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — This city is supplied from two sources, — Spot Pond, which is used jointly with Medford and Melrose, each municipality being entitled to one-third of its water, and wells in the vicinity of Maplewood, in the easterly part of the city, which furnish a ground-water supply. Spot Pond when full has an area of 296 acres ; a water-shed of 1,296 acres, including the area of the pond; a storage capacity of 733 000 000 gallons down to a level 12 feet below high water, which is about the lowest level to which the pond has ever been drawn, and a capacity of 837,000,000 gallons when drawn to a level of 15 feet below high water. In a series of dry years such as have 36 CHIEF ENGINEEE'S REPOET. [Feb., occurred in the past, it is feasible, by utilizing the storage in the first 12 feet of depth, to draw from the pond 1,560,000 gallons per day and have the pond fill up again. Maiden's share of water from this source may therefore be reckoned at 520,000 gallons per day. The Maplewood supply is obtained from a group of about 99^ tubular wells, about half of which were driven in 1889 and the remainder in 1892 and 1894. These wells yielded an average of 1,205,000 gallons of water per day in 1894. In reckoning the capacity of the wells, it is not necessary to base it upon the amount of water which they will furnish in the driest year, because in such a year the large amount of water stored in Spot Pond could be drawn upon to prevent a deficiency in the supply. It does not seem prob- able, however, that they can be depended upon in a series of dry years, such as have occurred in the past, to furnish over 1,000,000 gallons of water per day ; and this quantity may be reduced, as- sewers are introduced into the district which will carry off a portion of the ground water and also divert that portion of the water sup- plied to this district which, after being used, is now turned into the ground through cesspools. The total capacity of both sources of supply may be reckoned at about 1,520,000 gallons per day. Consumption of Water. — It is only since a meter was placed on the main pipe in September, 1892, to measure the quantity of water drawn from Spot Pond, that the consumption of water by the city could- be accurately obtained. The following table therefore con- tains only the record of consumption for the past three years, and the record for 1892 covers only the last four months of the year: — Consumption of Water, Maiden. Population, Annual Increase (Per Cent.). Average Daily Consumption (Gallons). Annual Increase. Average Dally Consumption YEAE. Gallons. Per Cent. per Inhabitant (GallonB). 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 26,435 28,253 29,452 6.9 4.2 1,243,000 1,451,000 1,460,000 107,000 9,000,000 8.0 0.6 47 51 41 Note. — All populations are estimated. It will be seen that the consumption of water is already very nearly equal to the capacity of the combined sources in a series of 1895. J HOUSE — No. 500. 3? dry years. If, however, Spot Pond should be filled in the spring of 1895 or 1896, it would for the next two or three years furnish without becoming exhausted a much larger quantity of water than it can be depended upon to furnish in a long series of years. Quality of Water. — Spot Pond has generally furnished water of satisfactory quality, but during the last two or three years, when the pond has been drawn to a very low level, the water has not been quite as good. The population upon the water-shed is about 476, equal to 305 per square mile of land surface. The water has been affected at times by disagreable tastes and odors, due to the presence of microscopic organisms, but these troubles have only occurred after long intervals. Much land has been taken around the pond by the three municipalities controlling it, to protect it from pollution ; and the Metropolitan Park Commission has acquired a. considerable portion of the water-shed as a part of the Middlesex Fells reservation. The water from the Maplewood wells contains a very large and increasing amount of mineral matter, and it is very hard, these characteristics being due to the presence of a very large population on the territory from which the supply of these wells is derived ; but the analysis also shows a very thorough purification of the water, owing to its filtration through the ground, and that it is practically free from organic matter. Future Supply. — The city of Maiden has been authorized by the Legislature to take water from Martin's Pond in North Eeading, and it has made investigations relative to taking a water supply from this source. The pond in its present condition will not furnish a satisfactory water supply, and it does not seem probable that it can be improved in such a way as to make it furnish a good water except at a prohibitory expense. Investigations have also been made by the city of Maiden to determine the feasibility of obtaining a supply of water from the. ground in the vicinity of the pond, 'but I am informed that the results are unfavorable to obtaining a supply in this way. The distance from Maiden to Martin's Pond is about twelve miles, and the water would have to be supplied by pumping, so that the cost of the works and of their maintenance would be large. Waltham. [Population in 1890, 18,707 ; estimated population in 1895, 21,700.] Description and Capacity of Source of Supply. — This city from 1873 to 1891 obtained its supply of water from a filter basin having 38 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. an area of a little less than one-fourth of an acre, dug in gravelly land close to the westerly side of the great millpond of the Boston Manufacturing Company on the Charles River. This filter basin had a depth of 8.4 feet below the water level in the river. In 1891, when the average consumption of water during the five months from June to October, inclusive, was 858,000 per day, a well 40 feet in diameter >vas sunk in the middle of the basin to an additional depth of 18 feet, and in 1893 the well was covered so as to prevent the growth of •certain low forms of vegetation which injured the quality of the water. Very large quantities of water were pumped from this well during its construction, and it does not seem improbable that it will furnish from 3,000,000 to 3,500,000 gallons per day in the driest times. The location of the well is very favorable for obtaining a large sup- ply of water, as the porous, gravelly land in which it was dug extends for a long distance on both sides of the river, and the millpond is broad and has arms extending up into the gravelly land, so that ■there is a very large area of millpond bottom through which water can filter from the river into the ground ; and there is little doubt but that a considerable portion of the water supplied by this well now comes from the river, and that a still larger porportion will be obtained in this way in the future. Consumption of Water. — The average daily consumption of water in Waltham for the past five years has been as follows : — Consumption of Water, Waltham. AvEBAOK Daily Annual Increase. Average Consumption, June to Popula- tion. Annual Average Dally Consumption Daily Con- sumption per OcTOBEE, Inclusive. YEAR. (Per Cent.). (Gallons). Gallons. |PerCent. Inliabitant (Gallons). Gallons. per In- habitant. 1890, ; 18,707 9.1 626,000 143,000 22.8 33 705,000 38 1891, . 20,400 1 4.7 769,000 150,000 19.5 38 858,000 42 1892, . 21,350 1.2 919,000 136,000 14.8 43 1,026,000 48 1893, . 21,600 2.3*' 1,056,000 182,000 17.3 49 1,199,000 66 1894, . 21,100 1,237,000 59 1,386,000 1 66 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. Decrease. Quality of Water. — The water as it now comes from the well is of excellent quality, but some of it on its way to the city passes through an open distributing reservoir in which there are abundant 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 39 growths of microscopic organisms, so that the water is not delivered to the consumers in as good condition as it comes from the ground. There are two possible causes of future deterioration of the water coming from the well. The first is the possibility already referred to on page 10 of this report, that any filtered river water may in time become of unsatisfactory quality ; but with regard to this it may be said that the works have now been in use for twenty-one years, and the analyses do not show any signs of deterioration from this cause. The second is the danger from polluting matters turned into the ground in the territory from which the well derives its supply. The water comes to the well from the ground on both sides of the river, and on the side across the river from the well the land has been divided into lots, and many buildings have been con- structed from which the wastes are run into cesspools. Pollution of the ground water in this way can be prevented by providing an efficient system of sewers for removing the polluting wastes. Future Supply. — The city of Waltham has acquired land along the banks of Charles Eiver for a distance pf about 1,700 feet up stream from the pumping station, and for an average depth back from the river of about 1,200 feet. Owing to the many irregular- ities of the shore line, its total length is about 4,600 feet. It was^ thought desirable to ascertain from how great a distance the present well drew its supply, both to assist in determining the present capacity of the well, and in finding out whether there was gravelly territory in addition to that from which the well drew its supply from which an additional supply might be obtained. For this pur- pose the height of the ground water was determined at many points on both sides of the river by ascertaining the level of the water in wells, test pits and small ponds, these determinations extending to a distance of as much as a mile from the pumping station in some directions. After the levels were first taken the fluctuations in the height of the water in these welis, test pits and ponds was observed from time to time. From these observations it was concluded that the present well when pumped to a low level would draw water from a very long distance, but not from the whole area which might be available for furnishing a ground water supply; and it was therefore thought probable that an additional well or wells might be sunk at a considerable distance from the present well, that would increase the capacity of the works to 5,000,000 gallons of water 40 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. per day during the driest portion of the year. This quantity of water should be sufficient for the requirements of the city until about the year 1920. At the present time the city is authorized to take from the Charles River or from the ground near it not more than 3,000,000 gallons of water daily. Quincy. [Population in 1890, 16,723 ; estimated population in 1895, 22,140.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — This city was first supplied with water from two wells constructed in 1884, but its main source of supply is now a storage reservoir on Town Brook in Braintree, which was first filled in 1888, and only one of the wells is now used. The storage reservoir when full has an area of 45 acres, a water-shed of 991 acres including the reservoir, and a storage capacity of about 167,000,000 gallons. After making allowance for considerable leakage past the dam and through the gravelly land at one side of the reservoir, this source will supply 750,000 gallons of water per day in the driest year, and the well will yield about 90,000 gallons per day, making the total daily capacity of the present sources 840,000 gallons. Consfimption of Water. — The average daily consumption of, water in Quincy for the past five years is given in the following table : — Consumption of Water, Quincy. Population. Annual Increase (Percent.). Average Dally Consumption (Gallons). Annual Increase. Average Daily Consumption YEAK. Gallons. Per Cent. per Inhabitant (Gallons). 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 16,723 17,880 19,000 20,100 21,194 6.9 6.3 6.8 6.4 497,000 566,000 602,000 729,000 798,000 68,000 37,000 127,000 69,000 13.7 6.6 21.1 9.5 30 32 32 36 38 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. It will be seen from this table that the consumption of water in 1894 very nearly equalled the capacity of the sources in a very dry year, and an additional supply is now required. 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 41 Quality of TTa^er. — The water-shed from which the reservoir derives its supply contains much swampy land, which gives the •water a brownish color, and there are some piggeries upon it which are objectionable features. The reservoir was filled without remov- ing the soil and mud from the land flowed, and the water is aflected to a considerable extent by growths of the minute organisms often found in reservoirs, which give the water at times a disagreeable taste and odor. The quality of the water has shown a slight tendency to improve during the past two or three years, but it cannot in its present condition be regarded as a satisfactory water for the pur- poses of a public water supply. There is very little doubt, however, but that the quality of the water may be greatly improved by remov- ing the piggeries from the water-shed, by draining the swamps and by removing the soil and mud from the bottom of the reservoir. The water-shed contains only a comparatively small population. Future Supply. — Outlines of a plan for increasing the water supply of this city have recently been submitted to the State Board of Health for its advice by the mayor and water board. The plan suggested is the construction of another storage reservoir upon a small brook very near the existing reservoir, and the diversion into the existing and proposed reservoirs of the water of Blue Hill Eiver. The city officials were advised that this plan would probably increase the supply so that it would in the driest year meet the requirements of the city until the year 1905, and that, if it were feasible to build a large reservoir above the Taunton turnpike, referred to in a report published by the city of Quincy in 1890, the supply might be increased suffi- ciently to last until about the year 1921. The cost of the works for supplying a water of good quality from these sources would be large. There is no source, other than the Blue Hill River, within a reasonable distance of Quincy, from which any large additional supply of water of good quality could be obtained, which is not already controlled by other cities and towns. Hyde Park and Milton. [Population in 1890 : Hyde Parle, 10,193 ; Milton, 4,278 ; total, 14,471. Estimated population in 1895: Hyde Park, 12,300; Milton, 5,800; total, 18,100.] Description and Capacity of Source of Supply . — The Hyde Park Water Company supplies water to the town of Hyde Park and to the Milton Water Company, and the latter company supplies the water purchased from the Hyde Park Water Company to the town of Milton. The whole water supply is derived from wells located 42 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb.. near the Neponset River, only a short distance above the thickljr settled portion of Hyde Park. Additional wells were driven to increase the capacity of this source in 1893 and 1894, but it is very doubtful if the works as extended will furnish in a very dry season any more good water than is needed to supply the present demands. Water was first introduced into Milton in 1890. Consumption of Water. — The consumption of water in Hyde Park and Milton for the past five years is given in the following table : — Consumption of Water, Hyde Park and Milton, YEAB. Popula- tion. Annual Increase (Per Cent.). Average Uaily Consump- tion (Gallons). Annual Increase. Average Daily Con- sumption per Inhabitant (Gallons). AvEBAGE Daily Con- sumption FOR Maxi- mum Two Months in SUMMEB. Gallons . Per Cent. Gallons. Gallons per InliaWtant^ 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 14,471 15,240 16,020 16,720 17,469 5.3 5.1 4.4 4.5 391,000, 498,000 564,000 628,000 587,000 107,000 66,000 64,000 41,000* 27.4 13.3 11.4 6.6* 27 33 35 38 34 465,000 613,000 678,000 727,000 713,000 32 40 42. 43 41 The consumption of water in each town for the past three years is as follows : — Consumption of Water, Hyde Park. Population. Annual Increase (Percent.). Average Daily Consumption (Gallons). Annual Inckea.se. Average Daily Consumption Gallons. Per Cent. per Inhabitant (GaUons). 1892, 1893, 1894, 11,100 11,500 11,948 3.6 3.9 464,000 499,000 458,000 35,000 41,000* 7.5 8.2* 42 43 38 Consumption of Water, Milton. 1892, 1893, 1894, 4,920 5,220 5,521 6.1 5.8 100,000 129,000 129,000 29,000 29.0 25 23 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. • Decrease. Quality of Water. — A portion of the water furnished by the wells of the Hyde Park Water Company is derived, from rain which falls. upon the land on both sides of the river at no very great distance from the wells, but it is probable that most of the water comes by fil- tration from the Neponset River, which is a highly polluted stream. 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 43 Analyses of water from many of the wells and groups of wells controlled by the company show that some of them furnish water which is not perfectly purified by filtration, while others furnish or have furnished water that is or was very thoroughly purified. The fact that a well furnishes good water at one time does not prove that it will continue to do so for an unlimited period, as the purifying powers of the soil may become exhausted. On the whole, it may be said, regarding the quality of the water from these wells, that while some of them furnish good water, — and possibly enough of them to provide such water for the present supply of Hyde Park and Milton, — yet it is doubtful if both these places can be supplied without drawing from the territory which furnishes water that is not efficiently purified. Taking into account the high degree of pollution of the river, the inefficiency of the purification by filtration in a portion of the terri- tory and the tendency which the ground has to lose its purifying power with continued use, I believe that this source of supply will always be regarded with suspicion, and that it should be abandoned when a better supply can be obtained. Future Suj^ly. — There is apparent!}'' no available source within a reasonable distance of the present one which will furnish a suffi- cient amount of water of good quality for Hyde Park and Milton. The Milton Water Company, however, has made investigations with reference to obtaining a supply of ground water from low land in the town of Milton, on the east side of Harland Street and near Pine Tree Brook, and was advised by the State Board of Health that a sufficient supply of ground water to meet the requirements of the town for a few years, and possibly for a much longer time, could probably be obtained at this place. If the Milton "Water Company should obtain this supply, the Hyde Park Water Company, having only the town of Hyde Park to provide for, could furnish a better water than it can supply to both towns ; and the Milton Water Company might obtain enough water to temporarily supply a portion of the water consumed in Hyde Park. There seems to be no source, other than the one in the town of Milton, from which the Milton Water Company can obtain an independent supply of good water at a reasonable cost. Woburn. 1 1 [Population in 1890, 13,499; estimated popnlation in 1895, 14,701.] M Description and Capacity of Source of Supply. — This city obtains its supply from a filter gallery constructed in 1873 near the 44 CHIEF ENGINEER'S EEPORT. [Feb. southerly shore of Horn Pond, — a pond which is seriously polluted, owing to the presence upon its water-shed of a large population and of tanneries and other manufacturing establishments which produce offensive wastes. The salt used in the tanneries and discharged into the streams with the tannery wastes, and that contained in the other wastes which enter the pond, has increased the chlorine in the water to many times its normal amount; and the water of the filter gallery contains nearly as much chlorine as that of the pond, furnishing conclusive evidence that the water filters from the pond to the gallery. It is estimated, from analyses which have been made monthly for seven years, that about ninety-two per cent, of the water which entered the filter gallery during that time came by filtration from the pond. The supply furnished by the filter gallery has been sufficient for the needs of the city from the first, but in 1882, when the consump- tion of water in July and August averaged 1,056,000 gallons per day, it threatened for a time to prove too small. Measures were then taken to hold the surface of the pond at a higher level, and during the very dry year of 1883 and every year since that time the supply has been sufficient for all purposes. It should be added, however, that the consumption of water in 1883 was less than in 1882, the average amount during the month of highest consumption being 911,000 gallons per day, and the average for the three months from July to September being 832,000 gallons per day. Consumption of Water. — The consumption of water in Woburn for the past five years has been as follows : — Consumption of Water, Woburn. ■SEAM. Popula- tion. Annual Increase (Percent.). Average Dally Consump- tion (Oallons). Annual Incekase. Average Dally Con- sumption per Inhabitant (Gallons). Average Daily Cok- SUMPTIOH ros Maxi- mum Two Months in Summer. Gallons. Per Cent. Gallons. Gallons per Inhabitant. 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 13,499 13,760 13,990 14,220 14,460 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.7 777,000 730,000 775,000 900,000 972,000 47,000* 45,000 125,000 72,000 6.1* 6.2 16.1 8.0 51 63 66 63 67 969,000 801,000 966,000 1,161,000 1,295,000 72 58 68 82 90 * Decrease. 1895.] HOUSE— No. 500. 45 It will be seen, by comparing the consumption during the two months in summer, as given in the table, with the summer consump- tion in 1882 and 1883, as previously given, that there had been prac- tically no increase up to 1892, — a result which is supposed to be due to a large loss by leakage from the reservoir and the distributing system in the earlier years, which has been greatly reduced in recent years. The increase in consumption in 1893 and 1894, how- ever, seems to show an increasing demand for water. The indica- tions are that the ' consumption of water has already reached the capacity of the present source in a dry year, and that measures should be taken for increasing the supply. Quality of Water. — It has already been stated that the filter gallery receives the greater part of its water by filtration from Horn Pond, and that this pond is seriously polluted. Analyses of the water of the filter gallery which have been made monthly for the past seven years show that the character of the water is entirely changed by filtration, the organic matter being reduced to a very small amount and the water being rendered suitable for drinking. During the past two years the amount of free ammonia in the water of the filter gallery has been slightly larger than in previous years, which is an indication that the purification is becoming less perfect ; but the change has been so slight up to the present time that it cannot be regarded as more than an indication. It is essential, where water is derived by filtration from a polluted source, that the purification should be very nearly perfect, as the water otherwise becomes unsafe for drinking. There have been at times in the past complaints of bad tastes and odors in the water supplied to Woburn, but it is believed that these were caused by vegetable growths in the open distributing reser- voir, rather than by the imperfect purification of the water entering the filter gallery. Future Supply. — It may be possible, by the construction of another filter gallery or well in porous ground near the pond, and at a considerable distance from the present filter gallery, to obtain a further supply of filtered water, or it may be feasible to facilitate the filtration of the pond water into the present filter gallery in such a way as not to diminish the purity of the water. If these methods should fail, the city of Woburn may take advantage of its nearness to territory which is only sparsely populated to obtain a supply of surface water by the construction of a storage reservoir upon some 46 CfflEI' ENGINEEE'S REPORT. [Feb. unpolluted stream. The population on , the water-shed of Horn Pond is so large (975 per square mile) that it cannot be regarded as a safe source from which to take a water supply directly, even after a system of sewers has been constructed in Woburn. Wakefield and Stoneham. [Population in 1890 : Wakefield, 6,982 ; Stoneham, 6,155 ; total, 13,137. EstimatBd popula- tion In 1895: Wakefield, 8,119; Stoneham, 7,072; total, 15,191.J Description and Capacity of Source of Supply, — These towns are supplied by the Wakefield Water Company with water from Crystal Lake in Wakefield. The lake when full has an area of 85 acres, and a water-shed, including the area of the pond, of .94 of a square mile. A portion of the lake covering about 30 acres is very shallow. The capacity of this source in a series of dry years, such as has occurred in the past, is about 660,000 gallons per day. Consumption of Water. — The consumption of water in Wakefield and Stoneham for the four years, from 1890 to 1893, inclusive, is given in the following table : — Consumption of Water, Wakefield and Stoneham. Population. Annual Increase (Percent.). Average DaUy Consumption (GaUons). Ankdai Inokease. Average Daily Consumption YEAR. Gallons. Per Cent per Inhabitant (Gallons). 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 13,137 13,670 14,080 14,528 3.3 3.8 3.2 537,000 541,000 599,000 633,000 4,000 68,000 46,000* 0.7 10.7 7.7* 41 40 43 38 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. * Decrease. The consumption of water for 1894 is not given in the above table because the water company refused to furnish it. There is but little doubt, however, that the consumption during this year has been greater than in either 1892 or 1893, because the pond at the end of 1894 was lower than at the end of the other years mentioned ; and, judging from the yield of other sources in the eastern part of Massa- chusetts, the amount of water entering the pond from its water- shed, from the time it stopped overflowing in the spring of 1894 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 47 until the end of the year, was as great as during the correspond- ing period in either 1892 or 1893. The consumption of water in 1892 was only a very little less than the estimated capacity of this source in a series of dry years, and the consumption in 1894 prob- ably equalled, if it did not exceed, this capacity. Quality of Water. — Crystal Lake furnishes a nearly colorless water, which has generally been of satisfactory quality, though it has been affected on a few occasions hj the presence of the minute organisms which impart to the waters of many ponds and reservoirs a disagree- able taste and odor. The water-shed contains at the present time a population of about 335, equal to 356 to the square mile. This is a large population, and on account of the proximity of the water- shed to the thickly settled parts of Stoneham and Wakefield it is likely to increase rapidly in the future. Future Supply. — In addition to Crystal Lake, the Wakefield Water Company was authorized by the Legislature to take water from Quannapowitt Lake in the town of Wakefield. This lake has a water-shed of 4.35 square miles, including its own area, and upon this water-shed there is estimated to be, in the towns of Beading and Wakefield, a population of 5,854, equal to 1,346 per square mile ; moreover, there are extensive swamps upon the water-shed, which unfavorably affect the character of the water and render it less attractive than the water of Crystal Lake. The State Board of Health advised the Wakefield Water Com- pany, on April 14, 1893, that "it has already expressed and still holds the opinion that the water of Quannapowitt Lake, one of the sources named in your original act of incorporation, is now unfit for the purposes of a domestic water supply. This opinion as to the quality of Quannapowitt Lake water applies to taking water directly from the lake; but if the water were taken after it had been thor- oughly purified by filtering for a long distance through the ground, or by any other thorough method of filtration, it might be used." * I have caused two test wells to be driven, one near the northerly end of this lake and another on the northerly side of its outlet, at points where it seemed most probable from surface indications that a ground-water supply, derived mainly from the lake or its outlet by filtration, might be obtained. The well near the northerly end of the lake was driven through moderately coarse sand, from which water could be pumped quite * Annual Report of State Board of Health for the year 1893, page 68. 48 CHIEF ENGINEEE'S REPORT. [Feb. freely, to a depth of 31 feet, and was then driven 50 feet further through much finer sand which did not furnish water freely. A sample of water taken from this well at a depth of 81 feet was ana^ lyzed, and was found to contain much iron, to be hard, and to have some other unfavorable characteristics which would make it unde- sirable for water-supply purposes. The well driven north of the outlet of the lake reached ledge 28 feet below the surface, but passed most of the way through porous gravel and sand from which water could be pumped freely. The analysis of a sample taken from this well showed that the water was of much better quality than the water from the well at the end of the lake. The analysis had some unfavorable features, however, and it would require further examinations to determine whether a water of suitable quality for water-supply purposes could be obtained at this place or not. The nearness of the ledge to the surface and the comparatively short distance from the well to ground which is nearly impervious render it very doubtful if any large supply of water could be drawn continuously from the ground near this well. On the whole it may be said, with regard to these tests, that, while they were not carried far enough to enable definite conclusions to be drawn, they indicate that it would be difficult if not imprac- ticable to obtain a satisfactory ground- water supply from either of the localities tested. In the town of Wakefield, north of Lowell Street and near the Saugus River, there is a large area of sandy land from which it seems probable that a ground-water supply sufficient for the needs of Wakefield and Stoneham for the next ten or fifteen years, and pos- sibly for a longer time, might be obtained. This area has been tested by means of driven wells, and the results are given on pages 31 and 32 of this report ; but, as this area is within the terri- tory from which the city of Lynn was authorized to take water by the Legislature of 1893, it is not probable that it can be made avail- able for the water supply of Wakefield and Stoneham ; and if it were available, it may be questioned whether, after taking into account the first cost and maintenance of a pumping station, wells and other works for obtaining a supply from this place, together with the uncertainties regarding the amount of water which may be obtained from a ground-water source, it would not be cheaper to obtain the additional supply for Wakefield and Stoneham from the metropolitan system. 1895.J HOUSE — No. 500. 49 I do not know of any source other than those mentioned, within a reasonable distance of the towns of Wakefield and Stoneham, from which it is at all probable that they can be supplied with good water except at an excessive cost. Brookline. [Population in 1890, 12,103 ; estimated population in 1895, 15,638.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — This town obtains its supply of water from the ground on both sides of the Charles Eiver, at a point where the river forms the boundary line between the West Eoxbury district of the city of Boston and the town of Dedham. The original works for collecting water, which were com- pleted in 1875, consisted of a filter gallery located on the West Eoxbury side of the river. This gallery had a total length of 762 feet, and its bottom was about seven feet below the ordinary level of the water in the river. The gallery was extended 160 feet in 1879, and in 1883 a further extension of 220 feet was made. In 1890 and 1891 the works were again enlarged by laying 2,054 feet of cast-iron pipe 24 inches in diameter, which extended from the pumping station along the West Eoxbury bank of the river and across the river to the Dedham side. Forty-three tubular wells were connected with this pipe. During the summer of 1894 still more extensive additions were made to the collecting system by extending the pipe above mentioned and building branches from it, and by adding more wells. At the present time the pipe has a total length, including branches, of 6,620 feet, and 178 tubular wells 2| inches in diameter, ranging in depth from 35 to 95 feet, are connected with it. The diameter of the pipe, including branches, ranges from 8 to 24 inches. The main pipe of the collecting system is connected with the pumps so that it may be used as a suction pipe ; and it is also connected with the pump well into which the water will flow from the present driven wells by gravity. The bottom of the pipe is about 7 feet lower than the ordinary level, of the water in the river. The pumps are placed at a low level and the water in the ground can be drawn by them to a considerable depth below the bottom of the suction pipe. It is probable that the larger part of the supply now obtained is filtered river water which gets into the ground by filtering through the river bed, or through meadows and the bottoms of ditches when the river is high ; and in the future a still larger part of the 50 CHIEF ENGINEER'S EEPORT. [Feb. supply must be filtered river water. The present collecting system extends through so large an area of porous ground that a large amount of water stored in the interstices of the ground is available for maintaining the supply when the river is low and there is conse- quently a smaller amount of water filtering from it into the ground. It is impracticable to make any very close estimate of the amount of water which works of this kind will furnish without exhausting the water in the ground, until the water has been pumped at a high rate for several months during the dry portion of the year. It does not seem unreasonable, however, to expect that the present works will furnish continuously during the dry portion of a dry year from 3,000,000 to 3,500,000 gallons of water per day. 'Consumption of Water. — The average daily consumption of water in Brookline for the past five years has been as follows : — Consumption of Water, BrooMine. YEAR. Popula- tion. Annual Increase (Percent.). Average Dally Consump- tion (Gallons). Annual Increase. Average Daily Con- sumption per Inhabitant (Gallons). Average Daily Con- sumption, June to October, inclusive. Gallons. Percent. Gallons. Gallons per Inhabitant. 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 12,103 12,830 13,600 14,380 15,153 6.0 6.0 5.7 5.4 877,000 979,000 1,046,000 1,214,000 1,325,000 102,000 67,000 168,000 111,000 11.6 6.8 16.1 9.1 72 76 77 84 87 1,003,000 1,078,000 1,170,000 1,379,000 1,558,000 83 84 86 96 ■ 103 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. Quality of Water. — The water supplied by the collecting system of the Brookline works is of excellent quality, and, as the distrib- uting reservoir is covered so that the water is not exposed to the light in any place, it remains of excellent quality when delivered to the consumer. There are two possible causes of future deterioration of the water from these works, the first being the one already referred to on page 10 of this report, — that any filtered river water may in time become of unsatisfactory quality. With regard to this point it may be said that water has been drawn from the ground near the Charles River at this place and at Newton and Waltham for about twenty years. 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 51 without showing signs of deterioration ; but it should also be added that the works have not yet had the severe test which they will have in the future, when much larger quantities of water will be drawn from them. The second is the danger from polluting matters turned into the ground within the drainage area which contributes directly to the ground-water supply. There is, on the West Roxbury side of the river, a rapidly increasing population within the territory from which a part of this supply comes ; but the city of Boston is already con- sidering the question of constructing a system of sewers to divert the sewage of this territory into its main sewerage system. The dan- ger, therefore, of any serious deterioration of the water from either of these causes may be regarded as somewhat remote. Future Supply. — The town of Brookline has acquired a very large area of land on both sides of the Charles River, but mostly on the Dedham side, for developing and protecting its water supply. On the West Roxbury side the land extends along the river from the pumping station lot to the Newton line, a distance of about 4,400 feet, and on the opposite side the land acquired consists of two tracts with a total frontage on the river at and below the pumping station of 8,100 feet. One of these tracts extends across a neck of land about 2,400 feet wide to another part of the river which, measured along the river, is several miles above the pumping station. It does not seem improbable that these works can be developed so that they will furnish 5,000,000 gallons of water per day in the driest portion of a dry year ; and, if the population of Brookline increases in accordance with the estimate given in Appendix No. 1, this quantity of water will provide 124 gallons per day per inhabi- tant during the months from June to October inclusive, until the year 1917. At the present time the town of Brookline is authorized to take from the Charles River 3,000,000 gallons of water daily.. Medford. [Population in 1890, 11,079 ; estimated population in 1895, 14,812.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — The main source of supply of this city is Spot Pond, which is used jointly with Maiden and Melrose, each municipality being entitled to one-third of its water. A description of Spot Pond and a statement of its capacity has. already been given on page 35 ; and, as there indicated. 52 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. it will supply 520,000 gallons of water per day to each place in a dry series of years. An auxiliary supply for Medford is now obtained by pumping water from three small streams or water courses just south of Spot Pond, on one of which Wright's Pond is situated. The total water- shed added in this way is one-half of a square mile. At the present time there is a small receiving reservoir into which the water of the three streams flows, and a temporaiy pumping station beside it. When the streams furnish enough water to warrant pumping, it is pumped directly into the main pipe leading from Spot Pond to the city, and if more is pumped than the city uses, the surplus goes back into Spot Pond. The city is now developing this source by the construction of a new dam at Wright's Pond, increasing the storage capacity of the pond to 30,000,000 gallons, and it is estimated that when this development is completed the total capacity of the Medford sodrces will be 900,000 gallons per day in a dry series of years. This estimate is made upon the assumption that Med- ford will be able to utilize its third of the storage capacity in Spot Pond for the storage of the water supplied by the auxiliary water- shed, and that the pond may be drawn down to a level 15 feet below high-water mark. An auxiliary supply was obtained for a time from a system of tu- bular wells in the valley of a small brook just north of the thickly settled portion of the city, but this source is not now used. Consumption of Water. — It is only since a meter was put on the main pipe, in September, 1892, to measure the quantity of water drawn from Spot Pond that the amount of water consumed could be determined. The following table, therefore, contains only the record of consumption for the past three years, and the record for 1892 covers only the last four months of the year : — Consumption of Water, Medford. Population. Annual Increase (Per Cent,). Average Daily Consumption (Gallons). Annual Isckease. Average Daily- Consumption YEAB. Gallons. Per Cent. per Inliabitant (Gallons). 1892, . 1893, . 1894, , 12,600 13,360 14,122 6.0 5.7 668,000 611,000 699,000 43,000 88,000 7.6 14.4 46 46 49 NoTK All populations are estimated. 1895.J HOUSE — No. 500. 53 If the consumption of water in Medford were to increase in the future at the same rate that it has during the past two years, the capacity of the works after being fully developed would be reached in 1897. If Spot Pond should be full in the spring of 1897, the large amount of water stored in it would insure a sufficient water supply to Medford for two or three years longer even if the con- sumption of water during these years should be somewhat in excess of the safe capacity of the works. Quality of Water. — A statement with regard to .the quality of the Spot Pond water is given on page 37. By far the greater part of the water-shed of the auxiliary source south of Spot Pond is either owned by the city of Medford or is a part of the Middlesex Fells reservation controlled by the Metropolitan Park Commission. The population upon the water-shed at the present time is very small, and it is not likely to increase to any considerable extent. There is also some swampy land upon the water-shed, but this can readily be drained so that it will not seriously affect the quality of the water. On the whole, there seems to be no reason to doubt but that a water of good quality can be obtained from this auxiliary source. Future Supply. — In addition to the present auxiliary source, there are said to be several small water-sheds within the city limits which it might be possible to develop so as to obtain a still further additional supply. I am not sufficiently informed with regard to these to know just how much water they will furnish, or whether the water can be obtained at a cost which would make it desirable to add them ; but as a general rule the addition of small supplies which soon become outgrown is not in the line of true economy. Revere and Winthrop. [Population in 1890; Bevere, 5,668; Wintlirop, 2,726; total, 8,394. Estimated population in 1895: Revere, 7,707; Wintlirop, 3,783; total, 11,490.] Description and Capacity, of Sources of Supply. — These towns are supplied by the Revere Water Company with ground water from two sources, one located in the town of Eevere and the other in the vicin- ity of Cliftondale in the town of Saugus. At Eevere the water is obtained from two large wells and three groups of tubular wells located in the valley of a small brook. The area of the water-shed of this brook at a point opposite the wells is 430 acres. It is estimated that the wells will yield in a series of two 54 CfflEF ENGINEEK'S EEPOKT. [Feb. or more dry years an average of about 300,000 gallons of water per day ; and, as the experience with these works has shown that there is a very large amount of storage in the ground, more water may be drawn during portions of the year provided the total amount indi- cated by the above estimate is not exceeded. Experience has also shown that an excessive draft upon these wells may cause an infiltra- tion of sea water. At Cliftondale the water is obtained from a system of tubular wells, which, with their present development, do not furnish sufficient water to supply the two towns without drawing upon the wells at Revere. Consumption of Water. — The consumption of water in Revere and Wintlirop for the jpast five years has been as follows : — Consumption of Water, Revere and Winthrop. YEAB. Population. Annual Increase (Percent.). Average Daily Consump- tion (GaUons). Annual Incrka.se. Average Daily Con- sumption per Inbabltant (Gallons). Average Daily Con-' BOSIFTION FOS MaXI- MDH Two Mouths is SUMMEK. Gallons. Per Cent. Gallons. Gallons per Inhabitant. 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 8,394 8,835 9,345 9,936 10,651 6.3 6.8 6.3 7.2 427,000 473,000 643,000 723,000 774,000 46,000 70,000 180,000 61,000 10.7 14.8 33.2 7.1 51 64 58 73 73 662,000 666,000 711,000 921,000 1,089,000 79 75 76 93 102 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. The table shows a very rapid increase in the consumption of water in these towns in recent years ; and, if the capacity of the works has not already been reached, there is little doubt that it will be very soon, if the consumption continues to increase as it has. Revere and "Winthrop have a large additional summer population, which accounts for the large increase in the consumption of water in sum- mer. The large consumption of water per inhabitant in summer, as given in the table, is rather misleading, as in estimating it no account has been taken of the additional summer population. Quality of Water. — The water furnished by the wells at Revere has always been a hard water, owing to the population upon the water-shed and possibly also to the proximity of the wells to the sea. Since August, 1893, there has been a very large increase in the 1895.J HOUSE — No. 500. 55 amount of chlorine in the water, indicating beyond all doubt that a small amount of sea water has been finding its way into the wells. If the wells were to remain unused, there is little doubt that the water would again become wholly fresh, but there is an uncertainty as to how long a time it would take. The wells at Saugus furnish water of good quality. Future Supply. — There are no sources not now controlled by some other city or town for water-supply purposes, within a reason- able distance of Kevere and Winthrop, from which these towns or the Revere Water Company could obtain, independently, any large additional amount of good water. It may be feasible to develop the present works at Cliflondale so that they will furnish a larger quan- tity of water than at present, but it does not seem probable that they can be made to furnish enough water to meet the rapidly increasing requirements of these two towns. Melrose. [Population in 1890, 8,519; estimated population in 1893, 11,656.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — The main source of supply of this town is Spot Pond, which is used jointly with Maiden and Medford, each municipality being entitled to one- third of its water. A description of Spot Pond and a statement of its capacity has already been given on page 35 ; and, as there stated,, it will supply 520,000 gallons of water per day to each place in a series of dry years. A temporary additional supply is purchased from a private. water company, which obtains water from tubular wells in the valley of Spot Pond Brook on the westerly edge of the thickly settled por- tion of the town. It is not necessary to base an estimate of the capacity of these wells upon the amount which they will furnish dur- ing the dry months of a dry year, because in such a year recourse can be had to the large amount of water stored in Spot Pond to prevent a deficiency in the supply. The capacity of these wells is not very definitely known, but it may be reckoned at an average of about 280,000 gallons per day, in addition to the supply from Spot Pond, making the total capacity of the present sources of supply about 800,000 gallons per day. Consumption of Water. — The consumption of water in Melrose during the past five years has been as follows : — 56 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPOET. [Feb. Consumption of Water, Melrose. Population. Annual Increase (Per Cent.). Average Daily Consumption (Gallons). AnnujVl Increase. Average Dally Consumption YEAE. Gallons. Per Cent. per Inhabitant (QaUons). 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 8,519 9,250 10,021 10,900 11,441 8.6 8.3 8.8 5.0 681,000* 716,000* 720,000* 652,000t 681,000t 135,000 4,000 68,000{ 29,000 23.2 0.6 16. Ot 4.4 68 77 72 60 60 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. • Pump measurement, t Meter measurement, t Decrease. The table indicates a marked decrease in the consumption of water from 1892 to 1893 ; but it may be questioned whether this is not due to the change in the method of measuring the water rather than to a decrease in the amount consumed, because a comparison of the two methods of measurement covering the same months showed that the pump measurement was considerably larger. The daily consumption of water per inhabitant in 1893 and 1894 was 60 gallons, and at this rate the present sources will supply a population of 13,333, which is the estimated population of Melrose in 1898. Quality of Water. — A statement with regard to the quality of the Spot Pond water is given on page 37. The wells from which the auxiliary supply is obtained derive their water from a territory upon which there is a large population, and the water is, consequently, high in mineral matter and hard, and the hardness is increasing.' The water is, however, at the present time of suitable quality for domestic use, particularly when it is mixed with the softer water of Spot Pond. Future Supply. It may be feasible for Melrose to increase its water supply to a limited extent by means of driven wells at some place within the limits of the town ; but there is no place within a reasonable distance from which it can obtain, by itself, at a reasonable cost, an abundant supply of good water. 1895,] HOUSE— No. 500. 57 Estimated population Watertown and Belmont. [Population in 1890 : Watertown, 7,073 ; Belmont, 2,098 ; total, 9,171. in 1895: Watertown, 7,551; Belmont, 2,628; total, 10,179.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. —These towns are supplied by the Watertown Water Supply Company with water taken from the ground near the Charles Eiver in Watertown. The works for collecting water originally consisted of a filter gallery located near a portion of the river where the water is ponded by the dam of the iEtna ]\Iills, and also near the line of a small brook which empties into the river below the dam. In order to provide a suffi- cient quantity of water to meet the increasing demands, the works have been extended from time to time ; first by a series of tubular wells near the filter gallery, which, like the filter gallery, furnish good water, and subsequently by a large well and by tubular wells located farther down stream, which furnish water inferior in quality to that furnished by the filter gallery. The total capacity of these works is not definitely known, but during the drier portion of the year it is necessary to use the sources which furnish the poorer water in order to maintain the supply to the towns. The company has made very extended tests of the ground in the vicinity of its present works, and it does not seem probable that enough good water can be obtained in this vicinity to supplj'- these two towns for any long time in the future. Consumption of Water. — The consumption of water for the past five years has been as follows : — Consumption of Water, Watertown and Belmont. TEAK. Population. Annual Increase (Percent.). Average Daily Consump- tion (Gallons). Annual Inckease. Average Daily Con- sumption per Inhabitant (Gallons). Average Daily Con- sumption FOR Maxi- mum Two Months in StnaMEK. Gallons. Percent. Gallons. Gallons per Inhabitant. 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1893, . 1894, . 9,171 9,515 9,935 10,003 10,008 8.7 4.4 0.7 0.1 360,000 333,000 407,000 477,000 414,000 27,000* 74,000 70,000 63,000* 7.5* 22.2 17.2 13.2* 39 35 41 48 41 464,000 413,000 522,000 635,000 512,000 51 43 63 53 61 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. • Decrease. 58 CHIEF ENGINEER'S EEPORT. [Feb. Quality of Water. — As already indicated, there is a difference in the character of the water obtained from different portions of the works of this company. The water of the original filter gallery and of the system of tubular wells near it is of excellent quality ; while that from the wells farther down stream was found by special examinations in 1893 to contain iron and manganese, and not to show the high degree of chemical purification which water may at- tain when it filters for a sufficient distance through the ground under favorable circumstances. The water, however, was nearly free from bacteria, and was not then regarded as an unsafe water to supply to the towns. It would, however, be advisable to abandon the wells which furnish the inferior water when a better supply is available. Future Supply. — It has already been indicated that there is no likelihood of obtaining any large additional supply of water from ■ the ground in the vicinity of the present works, and I do not know of any source within a reasonable distance of these towns from which they or the water company can obtain a sufficient independent supply of good water at a reasonable cost. The water commissioners of the town of Belmont recently caused investigations to be made of sources from which an independent sup- ply of water might be obtained for that town. The engineer em- ployed by them reported that a supply could be obtained from Clematis Brook at an estimated cost of $146,707, exclusive of land or water rights and of the cost of the distributing system which is now owned by the town. This sum equals $55.82 for each inhabi- tant in 1895, using the estimated population as given on page 4. Arlington. [Fopnlation in 1890, 5,629 ; estimated population in 1895, 6,573.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — This town is supplied with water by gravity from a storage reservoir which has an area of 31 acres, a capacity of 77,000,000 gallons and a water- shed, including the area of the reservoir, of 2.25 square miles. There is an additional water-shed of .49 of a square mile from which water flows into the Great Meadows, so-called, in Lexington ; and from these meadows, which can be flooded so as to form a very shallow reservoir, the water can be turned into the main reservoir when an additional supply is needed, or it can be wasted through another outlet. Along one side of the storage reservoir there is a- filter gallery with branches running out beneath the reservoir, and 1895.-] HOUSE — No. 500. 59 enough filtered water is obtained in this way to supply the town during more than half of the year. There is also a connection between the brook which feeds the reservoir and the filter gallery, by means of which the brook water can be turned into the filter gallery and thence into the pipe leading to the town without passing through the reservoir. It is estimated that the storage reservoir will supply about 530,000 gallons per day in a dry year without any water being turned into it from the Great Meadows. This reservoir is at so low a level that it will not supply the whole of the town by grav- ity, and works are now nearly completed for taking water from the ground at one side of the Great Meadows and near the East Lexino'- ton railroad station, and pumping it to supply the higher portions of the town. The total capacity of all the sources controlled by the town is somewhat indefinite, but it may be reckoned at about 750,000 gallons per day in the driest year. Consumption of Water. — The amount of water consumed by the town is not measured in any way. The large number of people to whom the present water supply is not available would tend to make the consumption lower than in most towns, but on the other hand a very large amount of water is used by the market gardeners in the town in summer. Quality of Water. — The water of the storage reservoir quite frequently contains abundant growths of the minute organisms which give water a disagreeable taste and odor, so that it is a very unsatis- factory water for drinking. The water of the filter gallery is of more satisfactory quality than that of the reservoir, notwithstand- ing the fact that the purification by filtration is far from being com- plete. The water of the brook feeding the reservoir comes from a territoiy where there is much manured land and some population, and, while it may be more attractive to the consumers than the water drawn from the storage reservoir, it is not as safe for drink- ing when taken directly into the pipes as it would be after storage in the reservoir. The water of the driven wells, from which the high-service supply is to be taken, will probably be of better quality than any other water supplied to the town except the filtered water of the filter gallery ; but even the well water was found by analyses of samples taken from test wells to contain an undesirable amount of iron, which may increase with continuous pumping, so that it is not expected to prove a water of wholly satisfactory quality. 60 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. Future Supply. — Aside from the present sources of supply, there seems to be no available source within a reasonable distance of the town from which a satisfactory independent supply can be obtained at a reasonable cost. Winchester. [Population In 1890, 4,861 ; estimated population in 1895, 6,930.] Description, and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — This town is supplied with water from three storage reservoirs situated in the Mid- dlesex Fells, and known as the North, Middle and South reservoirs. The North Reservoir, built in 1873, was the original source of supply of the town. It has an area of 59 acres, a storage capacity of 159,000,000 gallons in the upper ten feet, a total storage capacity according to an old report of 259,000,000 gallons and a water-shed of 442 acres, exclusive of the area of the reservoir. Making allowance for a leakage of 50,000 gallons per day past the dam, the source will yield by itself about 578,000 gallons of water per day in a series of dry years ; but used in connection with the other sources, where the reservoirs are larger in proportion to the water-sheds, its capacity may be reckoned at about 640,000 gallons per day. The Middle Reservoir naturally forms a part of the South Reser- voir, but is separated from it by a dam. It was formed by flood- ing an extensive swamp to a depth of about 13 feet. It has an area of 58 acres and a water-shed of 134 acres, exclusive of the area of the reservoir. Its capacity is sufficiently large to make available practically all of the water which the water-shed will supply, amount- ing to about 209,000 gallons per day in a series of dry years. The water from this reservoir overflows into the South Reservoir. The South Reservoir, which was completed in 1891, has very bold shores to a depth of 20 feet or more below high- water mark, and a maximum depth of about 40 feet just above the dam. Its area is 82 acres, and the area of the water-shed contributing directly to it, exclusive of the reservoir, is 197 acres. Its storage capacity is so very large in proportion to the area of the water-shed that, like the Middle Reservoir, it will render available practically the whole flow from the water-shed, amounting to about 308,000 gallons per day in a series of dry years; but as there is a leakage of about 116,000 gallons per day past the dam, the available yield, exclusive of the overflow from the Middle Reservoir is about 192,000 gallons per day. 1895. J HOUSE — No. 500. 61 It is stated that there are certain outlying areas amounting to 43 acres, from which the surface water can easily be diverted into the South Reservoir, and when diverted the yield of this reservoir will be increased about 45,000 gallons per day, making the total yield 237,000 gallons per day. The foregoing statements, representing the quantity of water which each of the reservoirs will furnish, are subject to considerable modification when we take into account the present or future quality of the water which these reservoirs will furnish. In the first place, there are 184 of the 442 acres of water-shed tributary to the North Eeservoir upon which the populated part of the town of Stoneham has begun to encroach. Four hundred people now live upon these 184 acres, equivalent to 1391 per square mile. It is feasible to divert from the North Reservoir the water coming from this territory, and it should be done ; but when done, the daily yield of the North Reservoir, used in connection with the other reservoirs, will be reduced from 640,000 to 353,000 gallons per day. Owing to the large area of swampy land flowed by the Middle Reservoir, the water contains so much organic matter that it is not of suitable quality to supply directly to the town or to turn into the other reservoirs without being filtered. It may be possible to divert into the other reservoirs a portion of the water which under present conditions would flow into this reservoir, and possibly to filter into them a part or the whole of the remainder of the water which this reservoir will supply. The South Reservoir when first filled contained water of very poor quality, but it has improved so much since that time that it has been used during the past six months in one section of the town, and it may be reckoned as one of the available sources of the town. The total capacity of the present sources of supply evidently depends much upon where the line is drawn between good and bad water, and also upon whether it is feasible to purify the water of the Middle Reservoir, which is now unsuitable for use, and to recover water which is lost by leakage through the dams. The quantitiesi obtained by different assumptions are given in the following tabula- tion, beginning with the water of the best quality : — 62 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPOET. [Feb. Gallons per Day. North Reservoir, excluding the 184 acres of populated territory in Stone- ham ... 353,000 South Reservoir, exclusive of overflow from Middle Reservoir, . . 190,000 Additional from South Reservoir if water is diverted into it from a small outlying water-shed, 45,000 588,000 Middle Reservoir, assuming that a part of the water coming from its water-shed may be diverted into the other reservoirs and that the re- mainder may be filtered into the other reservoirs, .... 209,000 797,000 Leakage from dams if recovered and utilized : — South Dam, 116,000 North Dam, , . . . . 60,000 963,000 Consumption of Water. — No record is kept of the amount of water consumed by the town. From 1891 to 1894, when the whole supply of the town was taken from the North Eeservoir, there were three periods varying from nine to eleven months in length during which the reservoir did not overflow ; and by estimating the amount of water which the reservoir probably received from its water-shed and from the rain which fell directly into it during this period, and making proper deductions for the amount of water lost from the res- ervoir by evaporation and by leakage from the dam, it is feasible to ascertain approximately the amounts drawn for the use of the town. They amounted to an average of about 70 gallons daily per inhabitant. It is stated that, owing to the fact that the town has a supply of water in excess of its present needs, large quantities of water are supplied for irrigation purposes and for manufacturing, but that these extravagant uses of water would be promptly checked if there was danger that the supply would prove insufficient. While a reduction might be made in the amount of water con- sumed by preventing the use of water in the manner described, it does not seem probable, when the conditions in "Winchester are com- pared with those in other towns, that the consumption would be reduced to less that 60 gallons per head per A&j. If the daily consumption of water per inhabitant in 1895 is reck- oned at 60 gallons, and allowance is made for an increase of four gallons every five years, we have, by using the estimated future pop- 1895.] HOUSE — No. 500. 63 ulation of the town as given in Appendix No. 1, the following esti- mated consumption up to the year 1915 : — Estimated Population. ConsmuptioQ per Day per Inhabitant. Total Consumption per Day. 1895, 1900, 1905, 1910, 1915, 6,930 8,350 10,126 12,225 14,725 60 64: 68 72 76 415,800 534,400 688,500 880,200 1,119,100 By comparing this table of estimated consumption of water with the capacity of the sources as given above, and by making allow- ance for the fact that with the large amount of water which Winches- ter has stored in its reservoirs it can draw upon its surplus storage to maintain its supply for about two years after the permanent capac- ity of its sources has been reached, it is found that the North and South reservoirs, inclusive of the small outlying water-shed and ex- clusi\'e of the Middle Reservoir, will furnish a supply until 1904. If the water of the Middle Keservoir is utilized the supply will last until 1910, and if the leakage from the dams is also recovered and utilized the time will be extended until 1914. Quality of Water.— T\\e water of the North Reservoir is gen- erally of good quality, but it has been affected at times by the pres- ence' of large numbers of the minute organisms which give the water an unpleasant taste and odor. The water would be rendered much safer for drinking and would be less likely to contain these organisms if the drainage from the 184 acres already referred to in Stoneham were diverted from the reservoir. The South Reservoir, as already stated, contained a water of very poor quality when it was first filled; but there has been a steady improvement in the quality, and it seems probable that the water will be as good as that of the North Reservoir if the overflow of water from the Middle Reservoir into the South Reservoir is prevented. , The quality of the water in the Middle Reservoir has already been fiiUy stated. ^ Future Supply. —There does not appear to be any source trom which the town of Winchester can obtain an additional water supply 64 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. when the capacity of its present sources is reached which will furnish water of good quality as cheaply as the proposed metropoli- tan system. Swampscott and JVahant.. [Population in 1890 : Swampscott, 3,198; Nahant, 880; total, 4,078. Estimated popnlation in 1895: Swampscott, 3,592; Nahant, 1,125; total, 4,717.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — These towns are supplied by the Marblehead Water Company with ground water from wells in Swampscott. The pumping station and the original well, and many driven wells which have since been added to increase the capacity of the works, are near Stacy's Brook only a short dis- tance from the sea, and there are other wells driven more recently in the valley of a tributary of this brook, from a quarter to a half mile from the original well, which are known as the Paradise Road wells. The wells located in the valley of Stacy's Brook have become affected by the infiltration of a small amount of sea water in the same manner as the wells of the Revere Water Company at Revere. The Paradise Road wells do not furnish enough water to meet the increased demands due to the large summer population from about the first of June to the first of October, and it is therefore necessary during this period to use some of the water from the sources near the pumping station which have become affected by the infiltration of sea water. Consumption of Water. — The average daily consumption of water in Swampscott and Nahant during the past five years has been as follows : — Consumption of Water, Swampscott and Nahant. Average Daily Con- A Average Dally Ankoal Increase. Daily Con- sumption FOR Maxi- i srcM Two Months In YEAR. Population. Increase (Percent.). Consump- tion (Gallons). per Inhabitant (Gallons). Summer. Gallons. Percent. Gallons. Gallons per Inhabitant. 1890, . 4,078 3.3 229,000 28,000 12.2 56 519,000 127 ': t 1891, . 4,212 3.6 257,000 6,000 2.3 61 535,000 127 ^ 1892, . 4,360 2.6 263,000 28,000 10.7 60 568,000 130 ' 1893, . 4,475 2.2 291,000 33,000 11.3 65 647,000 145 1894, . 4,575 324,000 71 592,000 129 Note. — All populations after 1890 are estimated. 1895.] . HOUSE — No. 500. 65 Quality of Water. — The water of the wells in Paradise Koad is of good quality, although somewhat harder than is desirable. The water of the wells in the valley of Stacy's Brook, aside from the in- filtration of sea water, is derived from a territory containing a large population, so that it is hard and contains much mineral matter. The analyses, however, show that the amount of organic matter is very small, indicating, as far as a chemical analysis can, a very efficient purification of the water by filtration. Future Supply. — The water company is now engaged in an investigation with a view to obtaining an additional water supply from the ground in the northerly portion of the town ; but, should this prove as large as can reasonably be expected, it is not likely to meet the increasing needs of the towns for more than a short time. It is also possible that a further additional supply may be obtained from the valley of Forest River in Salem ; but, even if this should be the case, it may be questioned whether it properly belongs to Swampscott and Nahant or to Marblehead, which now has only a limited supply of water and already has works located in the valley of this river. Aside from these sources, there seems to be no place within a reasonable distance from which either Swampscott and Nahant or Marblehead can obtain independently any large additional supply of water at a reasonable cost. Lexington. [Population in 1890,3,197; estimated population in 1893, 3,645.] Description and Capacity of Sources of Supply. — This town is supplied with water by the Lexington "Water Company. Water was introduced in 1884 from wells on the border of a meadow near Vine Brook in Lexington. Additional wells have been added from time to time, so that there are now four large wells and one deep tubular well in the vicinity of the pumping station, and another well and a covered gallery nearer the village of Lexington. In addition to these sources a storage reservoir was built upon the upper portion of Vine Brook in 1894, which is now being filled with water for the first time. It has a capacity of about 14,250,000 o-allons, and, if raised an additional foot by flash-boards, of about 16 000 000 gallons. Its area is about 5| acres, and its water-shed, including the area of the reservoir, is about .30 of a square mile. An additional ground-water supply was also developed during the 66 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb. construction of the dam and the laying of the pipe from the reservoir to the pumping station, which has been turned into this pipe. The wells are said to furnish an ample supply to meet present requirements for all except four or five months in the drier portions of the year, so that until the consumption increases it will only be necessary to draw water from the reservoir during this period. It is impracticable, with the information now at hand, to estimate definitely the amount of water which these combined sources will furnish ; but it does not seem probable that they will furnish during the dry months of a very dry year more than from 200,000 to 300,000 gallons per day. ConsunqHion of Water. — No records are kept of the daily con- sumption of water, but it has been necessary in summer to place restrictions upon the amount of water used for some purposes. If we take the estimated population in 1895 as already given, and reckon upon a summer use of 50 gallons per inhabitant, the total daily consumption of water will be 182,250 gallons. While the foregoing figures cannot be regarded as other than approximations, it seems probable that, with the increasing popula- tion and the tendency in nearly all places for the consumption of water per inhabitant to increase, this town will need an additional supply about as soon as a metropolitan supply will be available. Quality of Water. — The water taken from the ground by the Lexington Water Companj'^ is of good quality. The quality of the water which the storage reservoir will furnish is not yet known, but it is expected that it will be suitable for use. Future Supply. — Extended investigations were made by the water company in 1893 for the purpose of obtaining an additional water supply for the town ; but, aside from the developement of the Vine Brook water-shed by the construction of the storage reservoir recently completed, no satisfactory source was found. The larger streams within a reasonable distance of the town contained water of unsatisfactory quality, owing to the large amount of low, swampy land draining into them; and by following these streams toward their head waters it was found that when a point was reached where the water was good, the quantity of water available was too small to warrant the construction of works or to supply the growing require- ments of the town. Investigations with a view to obtaining a ground-water supply near the larger streams indicated that it would not be feasible to obtain a supply in this way. 1895. J HOUSE — No. 500. 67 Outline of the Proposed Plan for taking an Additional Wateb Supply from the Nashua Eiveb. An outline of the plan recommended for taking an additional water supply from the Nashua Eiver, and a statement with regard to the quality, quantity and cost of the water to be obtained from this source, will be given in this place so that it will be feasible to con- sider intelligently in a subsequent chapter the question of whether it is better for the different cities and towns to obtain their water sup- plies as a part of the metropolitan district or by independent action. A statement with regard to the sources investigated and not recom- mended, and a more detailed description of the works for taking water from the Nashua Eiver and for distributing it through the met- ropolitan district, will be given in the latter portion of my report. A careful preliminary examination of the sources from which any large additional water supply might be obtained for the metropoli- tan district indicated that the South Branch of the Nashua Eiver just above Clinton, used in connection with the Sudbury Eiver and Lake Cochituate, offered the greatest promise of furnishing an ample sup- ply of good water at a reasonable cost ; and the surveys and inves- tigations with reference to obtaining an additional supply from this source were made with special care, in order to determine with certainty the feasibility of the plan, its cost, and the oppor- tunities for supplementing the supply in the future from other sources if the additional supply from the Nashua Eiver should prove insufficient. The situation of the Nashua Eiver water-shed with relation to the Sudbury and Cochituate water-sheds and to the metropolitan dis- trict, together with the location of present and proposed aqueducts leadino- to this district and for conveying the water from the Nashua Eiver to the Sudbury water-shed, is shown on Plan No. 2. The principal features of the proposed plan are as follows : — A very large storage reservoir upon the Nashua Eiver. An aqueduct capable of conveying 300,000,000 gallons of water per day from this reservoir to the Sudbury water-shed. The use of the present Sudbury and Cochituate aqueducts of the city of Boston for conveying water to Chestnut Hill Reservoir until their full capacity has been utilized. An additional aqueduct, capable of conveying 250,000,000 gallons of water per day, to be built in the not distant future, for conveying water 68 CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT. [Feb.: from Eeservoir No. 5 of the Boston Water "Works to the metropolitan district, A low-lift pumping station at Chestnut Hill Reservoir and a system of main pipes for supplying all of the lower portions of the metropolitan dis- trict until the aqueduct last mentioned is built, and afterward to supply to these portions of the district the water brought by the Sudbury and Cochituate aqueducts. The use of Spot Pond in Stoneham as a low-service distributing reservoir. The use of the present pumping station at Chestnut Hill Reservoir and the construction of a new pumping station in Maiden, with corresponding main pipe systems, for supplying respectively the southern and northern high-service districts. Two small pumping stations and pipe systems for supplying water to comparatively small populations at a still higher level. Description and Capacity of Source. — The streams -which unite in West Boylston to form the South Branch of the Nashua River take their rise on the easterly and southerly slopes of Mt. Wachusett, in the central part of the State (Plan No. 4) . The drainage area of the river above the proposed point of taking, in the town of Clinton, is 118.23 square miles, and upon this area there are no large towns or villages. The largest town is "West Boylston, which in 1890 had a population of 3,019, and has grown very little since 1870, when it had a population of 2,862. The construction of the proposed reservoir would materially decrease the population of this town by flowing the sites of mills and houses in the villages of "West Boylston and Oakdale. In comparison with the Sudbury and Cochituate water-sheds (Plan No. 5) and nearly all others in the vicinity of Boston, this water-shed contains a small area of swampy land. There are factories upon some of the streams above the proposed reservoir, but it is feasible to divert the objectionable portion of the manufacturing wastes and to purify them by filtration, and in the same way to prevent the contamination of the water by the wastes from the population in the villages. The proposed reservoir is so very large that all of the water flow- in 8 g I § •s* i s -8 s o "8 o HO 8 S I tJI tM t>- 00 O r-^ in 6 cq_ tx>^ in 0) tt" i-T (?4' ua <*> (N CO t^ CO CO i-^ o^ * c^r i-T ^ Oi s s at) 1 ] 1 « s rt s- '^ ^ OD 00 Tt* iO 9 °t o^ CO •. o CO CO ca in pN CO * CS lO o S? o t« I *" 00 a t^ CD Oi •<:t^ o t-^ (N i* o to co" O aD Oi C- ■<*< * CO »o OS in © CO ira os_ ■^ QCI t>- to « co b- " CO (N ^ CM CO ^ © «3 CO o 00 r^ S va CO CO rt r-> c^ N C^ (M OS CO o ^ -^ p* ■*" 00 <^ 1 00 ■* ■^ ^ Area of and Sur- face, Square Miles. s s o OS s (N IM (N VI IH • • • Eh ri 5 ■ ■i '%. l_ p % £ >* ^ 6p O o3 CD & .2 o CO Tt* S I t^ CO in CO 1-H ^ '-' (M lO GO M CO b- b- CO m o o 00 CO CO CO o -* OS ^m OS iC b- *" CO 00 ^ ^ CO •^ Tt< "** f^ ^ rj* w o N o CO >n CO CO CO CO b- (N rft ■* t^ K c3 GO CO CO W CO CO IM rsi (_J CS in (.N fo ^ CD CO CO OS ^ CO CO of X3 ■ i >^ v 3 o m ^ O ,£3 XI W ^i; P4 o o ^ .n a o « p ^ « j 1 •^ « 03 q w A c>. c 2 » g ^ fc 5> S S « I 'tnnqonoig pas pi3B93[Bjli •njnqoj^ ■notiiH poB •Xonin^ •ra«miBjSA. •nopisK ■no^Aa^ •an3 -ilBg pan nn£ri 'aSpiJqoiBO OllB^J^ pne 91B ■nqiqooo IB?oi •^lajaAa paB 839|aqo '9iui -JBOIOg 'aAiOJ -saiJBqQ Sni -pnput'B^iOjji •BSfJOM 91Bn •Jiqooo aojBoa; o 0! o S " S s OOOOOOOOOOOOOO oooooooooooooo ^cQ 'a ^■^ f^"^ -reo ,jr» ^vi ^vf •■o '1-t ^to *'n '\ti 'CO oteqo"Sg:*S SSggggggg O 0^ =^ ■^ -# ■T^ w (o t- 63 ■ CO g g n*^ ^*"-j^^ j^r*" ^*~ «r*^ «ro> _r^ « ""i »»r e o o 000 0^0 o ■u-< ,-; pj _r™ —TCO .^0> ■=.0 °.o S, o =io °.o ^-o =io °.o =!.o °.o "=-0 ==5.0 wV S„ o 03 t- ^ ^ ;o 00 00 01 to Sf S s S gS 3-3 gf §3 2 S gS gS g S s S -■? g 3 »-? g- g ^^UB<0iOC0<0OC>lC0 s"s I s ;=■ s » S » § s'S s 3 e " E « g S 15 S s s »-ig 5-B ciMMciiMeoeoos. s s Is ts |-5 g s |-g |g g-s |s |s |s |s |e|s ■^ TtJ^ ■AtC(00'VQOr-lr-(U300COr^ SSS0K3BSE CO CQ CO CO CO C^ ** *^ ^r ^>; uw m^ '^f jfc.» uj --;^— ' *A UJ §S§SSg§gggggg8' §00 = 0.-0. «;o •O O^ 0» 00 N CO CO CO ssgS3«>sSeS APPENDIX. 161 Co Oi 00 i Qo ■3 H I s r S£ P, c o s g s Cl «c «• OQ ;« Cll a pC rs ^c^o'=ioS:C)S.G*^-^ ^C) *^ CJ C> O ^ Ci "Si o C) Q, SS cj 0 r-i >0 <^10 Oi'lo ffi<0 ■^"'O ©"0 03 "O c« '« t-"'« 00 "O en I* ©""O IC *0 e> >0 U3"»0 »^»o tv *0,03 >Ci >!ir*0 aq »0 C?** O "O »-7'« 'o'O 00 *0 OS "o C)'H^iOq(Sia3'^»b«5t-ooosC>H Oi1(N0^O4t>qc4iNoqo^0qoiC4CV^?0 a a rHT-1 °-=' ^-o ^=> ^-o ^ O '^.O oo"|2 ,- Co03'*'*'*'*'*-*'ClX5iolo» g g gs s g ss » s §-s g s g e » s » £ ifg g- £ » s g-s 00 00 00 00 OO 00 GO OO 162 APPENDIX. Table No. 2 shows the daily average consumptioii in gallons and the consumption per capita in each of the cities and towns of the metropolitan district since 1880, together with the total consumption and population sup- plied in each year. From this table it appears that the works of the city of Boston now fur- nish between 70 and 75 per cent of the total quantity used in the entire metropolitan district. From 1880 to 1883, inclusive, the daily average con- sumption of the entire district was from 74 to 77 gallons per capita, but in 1884 the quantity dropped to 62 gallons, from which point there has been a gradual rise, and in 1893 83 gallons were used. The abrupt fall in the consumption in the year 1883 was the result of the introduction of the Deacon waste detection system in Boston. The figures given for the city of Fall Eiver (Table 1) show a most strik- ing contrast to those of all of the other cities. Here is a city of 75,000 inhabitants, where the daily consumption is only 27 gallons per capita, and where there has been no increase in the amount during the past fifteen years ; in fact, taking into consideration the number of consumers rather than the total population, the present consumption per capita is 30 gallons, as compared with 41 gallons. in 1877. The question naturally arises. If 27 gallons per capita are found to be all that are required to meet all demands in a manufacturing city of 75,000 inhabitants, why is double that amount needed in the suburban cities and towns near Boston, and three times that quantity for the entire metropolitan district? In order to intelligently answer this question, and also to deter- mine what may be considered as proper quantities to be used for domestic, manufacturing and public purposes in designing works to meet the require- ments of future years, a careful study has been made of the conditions which obtain and of the quantities which are actually used for various pur- poses in different cities and towns. In the first place, it may be stated that the low consumption in Fall Eiver is due in a great measure to the fact that the use of meters on a large per- centage of the services has been the practice of the department ever since the building of the works ; and a further cause is that the use for manu- facturing purposes is small, most of the manufacturers taking their supply from the river and not from the city works. The total consumption for mechanical purposes during the year 1892, as measured by meters, was about 2 gallons per head per day. The water used in any city or town may be sub-divided under four heads : — 1. Quantity used for domestic purposes. 2. Quantity used for trade and manufacturing purposes. 3. Quantity used for public purposes. 4. Quantity wasted. APPENDIX. 163 1. Quantity Used for Domestic Purposes. Under the first head should be included not only the household uses of the inhabitants, but also the quantity required for provision stores, fish markets, laundries, stables, — in fact, all the requirements of a residential community, with the exception of the public uses of fountains, street water- ing, fires, etc Table No. 3 embodies the results of data collected, showing the actual consumption per capita for domestic use of different classes of people in a number of cities, as determined by yearly meter records :. — Table No. 3. Consumption per Capita for Domestic use in Boston, BrooMine, Newton, Fail River, Worcester and London, Eng., as determined by Meter Measurement. Number Number Number Oonsumption, City oh Town. of Houses. of Families. of Persons. Beuabks. Family. Capita. Boston, . Boston, . 31 46 402 623 1,461 2,524 221 185 59 46 Highest-cost apartment houses in the city. First-class apartment bouses. Boston, . 223 2,204 8,432 123 32 Moderate-class apartment houses. Boston, . 39 413 1,844 80 16.6 Poorest-class apartment houses. Boston, . Boston, . 339 3,647 14,261 1,699 139 35.6 46.1 Average of all apartment houses supplied by meter. Boarding-houses. Brookline, . Newton, Newton, 490 828 490 619 4,140 2,460 3,005 221.5 132.5 44.3 26.6 6.6 Average of all dwellings supplied by meter. All houses supplied with modern plumbing. These families have but one faucet each. These families have but one faucet each. The most expensive houses in the city. Average class of houses, generally having bath and water-closet. Whole domestic consumption Newton, - 278 1,390 34.5 6.9 Fall River, . Fall River, . Worcester, . 28 64 34 148 20,514 170 740 90,942 127.5 42.0 25.5 8.4 16.8 Worcester, . Worcester, . - 81 37 327 187 80.2 118.1 19.9 23.4 Woodland Street, best class of houses. Cedar Street, best class of houses. Worcester, . _ 93 447 95.0 19.8 Elm Street, houses of moderate cost. Worcester, . 245 1,104 55.1 12.2 Southbridge Street, cheaper houses. Worcester, . 229 809 56.0 15.6 Austin Street, cheaper houses. London (Eng London (Eng 0, . 0, • 1,169 727 - 8,183 5,089 - 26.5 18.6 Houses renting from $260 to $600; each having bath and two water- closets. Middle class, average rental $200. All of the examples cited in Boston are of apartment and boarding- houses, and do not include any private stables or conservatories ; and the 164 APPENDIX. proportion of hand hose per capita is small. The average number of per- sons per house is about 40. The consumption per capita varies from 59> gallons in the most expensive houses, provided with all the modern cou- veniences of water supply, to 16.6 gallons in the cheapest class of apart- ment houses. The average amount used per capita by the 15,960 persons was 36.7 gallons. In the town of Brookline the average consumption per capita was 44.3 gallons, including the amount used for private stables, conservatories, lawns, etc. It is probable that the domestic use of water, not including waste, is larger in Brookline than in any of the suburban towns about Boston. In Newton 490 families show a consumption of 26.5 gallons per capita in 1892, assuming 5 persons per family. These are all in modern houses, costing from $5,000 to $15,000, containing all modern plumbing conven- iences, but with few stables, and the houses are on smaller estates than many of those in Brookline. The total quantity used in Newton through 3,566 meters during the year 1892 was 175,000 gallons ; and, taking au estimated population of 18,000 (which is thought to be very nearly correct), we find the daily average per head to have been 26.5 gallons, including the quantity used for stores and stables. In Worcester and Fall River the quantity used is very much smaller. The daily average consumption of 90,942 people in Worcester, as deter- mined by meter measurements duinng 1892, was but 16.8 gallons, and 70,000 people in Fall River during the same year used daily but 11.2 gal- lons per capita. Thirty-four families living in some of the most expensive houses of Fall River, some of these having private stables, used but 127 gallons per family, or 25 . 5 gallons per capita ; while 148 families residing in houses of moderate cost, generally provided with water-closet and bath, used but 42 gallons each, or 8.4 gallons per person. The figures given for London were taken from the report of the Royal Commission on the Water Supply of the Metropolis. The consumption per capita in English cities is generally much smaller than in the United States, but these figures indicate that the actual quantities used in buildings having water fixtures of similar character are the same there as in our cities. In the above examples the quantities given are the records of actual use, as determined by meters on every service ; and the amount used for mau- ufactftring purposes, together with the quantity used and wasted from the street mains and services, is not included. The quantities vary from 11.2 gallons in Fall River to 44 . 3 gallons in Brookline. As most if not all of the meters after a few years' use fail to register the total quantity used, an addition of probably 10 per cent, should be made to these quantities, mak- ing them 12.3 and 48.7 gallons respectively Although the number of water fixtures used in dwellings is increasing from year to year, I am of the opinion that, taking into consideration the APPENDIX. 165 class of population occupying the metropolitan district, the quantity required for domestic use should not, at the present time, exceed 30 gallons per capita where the premises are generally metered. 2. Quantity used for Mechanical, Trade and Manufacturing Purposes. The principal users of water for mechanical purposes are railroads, gas, electric light and power companies, sugar refineries, breweries, cordage and rubber works, shipping, slaughtering establishments and elevators. The use of water for mechanical purposes shows a great variation in dif- ferent communities. In residential districts like Brookline and Newton but little water is required in addition to the domestic use ; but in Boston, Cam- bridge and Somerville there is a large and growing demand for water for mechanical purposes. As all of the large users of water for trade and mechanical purposes take their supplies through meters, we can determine the quantities used for different purposes. Table 4 shows the daily quan- tities of metered water used for trade and mechanical purposes from the Cochituate and Mystic works and in Cambridge, during the year 1892 : — Table No. 4. Metered Water used for Trade and Mechanical Purposes in Boston, Chelsea, Somerville, Everett and Cambridge, in 1892. Dailt Average Amount in Sallons. NAME OP BUSINESS. Cochituate and Mystic. Cambridge. Total. Sugar refineries, .... 729,000 200,200 929,200 Bakeries, 13,030 - 13,030 Breweries and bottling, 420,940 - 420,940 Chemical works, . 87,270 - 87,270 Distilleries, . 10,780 - 10,780 Electrical companies, . 320,500 101,600 422,100 Elevators and motors, . 1,337,700 - 1,337,700 Factories, 1,177,500 296,500 1,414,000 Gas companies, . 355,530 - 365,530 Ironworks, . 83,730 - 83,730 Laundries, . 91,660 - 91,660 Marble and stone works, 52,960 - 62,950 Markets, 12,050 - 12,050 Mills and engines. 62,680 - 62,680 166 APPENDIX. Table No. 4 — Concluded. Metered Water used for Trade and Mechanical Purposes in Boston, Chelsea, Somerville, Everett and Cambridge, in 1892 — Concluded. Dailt Ateeaoe Amount is Gauons. NAME OF BUSINESS. Cochltnate and Mystic. Cambridge. Total. Offices, stores and shops, . 2,458,700 - 2,458,700 Oil works, . 17,250 - 17,260 Restaurants, Shipping, 164,800 351,700 — 164,800 351,700 Slaughter houses, 374,500 138,300 512,800 Stables, 309,600 - 309,600 Street railways, . 422,900 - 422,900 Steam railways, . 1,604,600 178,800 1,783,400 Saloons, 120,500 - 120,500 Tanneries, . 16,800 - 16,800 Wharves, 39,800 - 39,800 Fish stores, . 18,200 18,200 Greenhouses, 9,550 - 9,650 Hotels (transient). 696,200 - 696,200 Theatres, 36,100 - 86,100 Miscellaneous, - 255,000 256,000 Totals, . 11,236,520 1,170,400 12,406,920 In addition to the water metered for manufacturing and trade, there is quite a large quantity paid for by schedule rates. This amount cannot be accurately determined, but it has been estimated in the following manner : the actual amount received in Boston for the unmetered water during the year 1892 was $0.0813 per thousand gallons, and this price has been applied to the amounts received for different purposes, to estimate the pro- portionate quantity used. This method I think gives fairly accurate results. Applying it to the receipts for 1880 and 1892, we iind that in 1880 16.08 gallons of unmetered water were used for manufacturing and trade pur- poses, to which must be added 9.27 gallons which were metered, giving a total of 25.35 gallons used for these purposes. In 1892 the total for the same purposes was 30.27 gallons, of which 7.67 gallons were not metered. Table No. 5 shows in detail the number of gallons per inhabitant, both metered and unmetered, which were required for different purposes in 1880 and 1892: — APPENDIX. 167 Table No. 5. Table showing Consumption in Gallons per Capita for Various Purposes from the Cochituate Works, in 1880 and 1892. 1880. I 1893. Metered. Un. metered. Total. Metered. Un- metered. Total. Manufactures and Trade. Office buildings and storeB, . 0.844 10.200 11.044 6.63 6.54 11. IT Steam railroads 1.139 1.139 2 26 2.26 Bagar refineries 0.811 0.811 1.70 1.70 Factories, machine shops, mills and 0.966 2.120 3.086 2.15 - 2.15 engines. Iron works and foundries, . 0.673 0.573 0.24 0.24 Marble and stone works. 0.143 - 0.143 0.12 " 0.12 (}as companies, 0.324 - 0.324 0.75 - 0.75 Electric light companies. - - 0.69 0.69' Breweries, ... 0.556 - 0.556 0.89 - 0.8» Oil and chemical works. 0.214 - 0.214 0.19 - 0.19 Laundries, - 0.150 0.150 0.15 0.35 0.50' Restaurants, 0.129 0.650 0.779 0.37 0.29 0.66 Btabies, 0.443 - 0.443 0.60 - 0.60 Sleamers and shipping 0.325 1.000 1.326 0.82 08 0.90 Elevators and motors 1.033 - 1.033 2.95 - 2.96' Btreet railways, - 0.90 o.oa Saloons, ....... - 1.500 1.500 0.27 0.89 1.16 Hotels, 1.454 0.150 1.604 1.56 0.07 1.62 Theatres and halls, ..... - - 0.10 0.09 0.19 Markets and cellars - 0.150 0.150 - - Greenhouses, ...... - 0.160 0.160 0.03 0.08 Miscellaneous, 0.314 0.314 0.27 0.28 0.55 Totals, ...... 9.268 16.080 25.348 22.60 7.67 30.27 Domestic Uses. Apartment hotels, 0.047 6.850 5.897 1.72 12.34 14.06 Dwelling-houses, - 60.000 60.000 43.90 43.90 StAbles, . - 1.500 1.500 1.38 1.38 Hand hose, - 1.250 1.250 - 2.26 2.2S Clnb houses, . 0.040 0.040 0.18 0.07 0.25 Churches, - 0.250 0.250 0.18 0.18 Miscellaneous, - - 0.22 0.22 Totals, 0.047 68.890 58.937 1.90 60.34 62.24 Public Vies. Hospital - 200 0.200 0.30 0.21 0.51 Schools, 0.505 0.400 0.905 0.30 0.12 0.42 City, State and Government buildings, - 0.400 0.400 0.83 0.52 0.14 1.35 0.14 Urinals, fountains, etc., .... ~ Miscellaneous,. . . . . - 0.500 0.500 - - - Totals, 0.505 1.500 2.005 1.43 0.99 2.43 168 APPENDIX. That the use of water for mechanical and trade purposes is increasing at a more rapid rate than the population is evident from the fact that 30.27 gallons were used in 1892, while 25.35 gallons sufficed in 1880. In order to illustrate this fact more forcibly, I have selected from Table No. 5 the quantities used for the more important manufacturing and mechanical uses in 1880 and 1892, and have grouped them in the following table. All of the water used by these classes of takers is metered : — Gallons per Capita. Steam railroads, Sugar refineries, Gas works, Electric light and power, Breweries, Elevators, Totals, . 1880. 1892. 1.14 2.26 .81 1.70 .32 .75 - .69 .56 .89 1.03 2.95 3.86 9.24 The daily quantity used in 1880 for the above purposes was 1,242,900 gallons, and in 1892 3,973,200 gallons, — a difference of 2,731,000 gallons, or more than 20 per cent, of the total increase in the consumption of the works. The present requirements for trade and mechanical purposes in Boston, SomerviUe, Chelsea, Cambridge and Everett is about 25 gallons per capita. In considermg the whole metropolitan district this amount per head should be slightly reduced ; but in view of the fact that there is a constantly increasing demand for water for these purposes, and also considering that an allowance of about ten per cent, should be made to cover shortage m meter measurement, I think that at least 35 gallons per capita should be allowed in providing for future years. 3. Amount required for Public Purposes, including Public Buildings, Institutions, Hospitals, Schools, Street Sprinkling, Flushing Sewers, Ornamental and Drinking Fountains and Fires. The metered consumption of the Cochituate and Mystic works for the year 1892, for public buildings, schools and hospitals, was 1.5 gallons, and the unmetered quantity I estimate at 0.8 gallons, making 2.3 gal- lons per capita used for these purposes. A careful study of the quantity required for different public uses, based upon such information as I APPENDIX. 169 have been able to obtain, gives the following requirements for the different purposes. Gallons. Public buildings, schools and hospitals, 2.30 Street sprinkling, jqq Flushing sewers, public urinals, ■ .10 Ornamental and drinking fountains, 25 Fires jO Total for public purposes, 3 . 75 Probably 4 gallons per capita should cover all the requirements for public purposes. 4. Amount Wasted. Consideration of the preceding statements of the amounts actually required for domestic, trade, manufacturing and public uses, in connection with the quantities given in tables Nos. 1 and 2, shows that a very large percentage of the total consumption in most of the large cities and towns is wasted ; and in the quantity wasted I do not include water which is lavishly used, but only that which is either negligently or wilfully permitted to escape from the pipes or otherwise without jDerforming any useful service. The Deacon waste water meters, which have been used for the measure- ment and detection of waste in Boston since 1880, furnish conclusive evi- dence of the existence of an enormous amount of waste. This meter records upon a diagram the rate of flow through the meter at all times of the day or night, and also furnishes a record of the water drawn from the mains during the hours of the night when the legitimate use of water should be very small. In 1880 a very thorough trial of these meters was made in the Charles- town district. In a residential section containing 21,760 persons the daily consumption per capita was found to be 58.5 gallons, and between the hours of one and four a.m., when the legitimate use was least, it was at the rate of 37.5 gallons per head per day. A careful examination of the street mains and house fixtures was made, and after two or three inspections the meters showed a reduction in the dailv average consumption of 20.8 gal- lons, and in the night rate of 21.7 gallons. The total daUy consumption after the inspection was 37.7 gallons, or the same as the night rate before the waste had been stopped. It is noticeable that the reduction in the day and night rate was practically the same. The use of these meters was in 1883 extended so as to cover the greater part of the residential portion of the city, and at the present time 84 are in use. By their use, aided by a house-to-house inspection, the daily average consumption per capita was reduced from 91.8 gallons in 1883 to 71 gal- 170 APPENDIX. Ions in 1884, — a saving of 20.8 gallons per capita. The use of the meters has been continued, but the reduction in the waste which was accomplishedij in the first experiments in Charlestown and East Boston has not been obtained throughout the city. Table No. 6 shows the population included in the Deacon meter districts,-? the consumption per capita and the night rate for a number of years : — Table No .6. — Cochituate Works. Popu- lation in Meter DiBtricta. Beporb Inspection. Aftek Inspection. YBAE. Daily Con- sumption per Capita. Night Rate per Capita, One to Four A.M. Daily Con- Bumption per Capita. Night Rate per Capita, One to Four A.M. 1888 1889 1890, ........ 1891 1892, 1893 337,000 337,000 356,600 360,200 337,900 379,450 efalkms. 55.3 62.1 62.1 52.8 54.5 Gallons. 32.5 29.6 31.8 32.9 36.7 Gallons. 45.9 48.4 47.7 63.7 53.2 54.8 Gallons. 27.4 27.1 27.0 33.2 35.0 37.9 Mystic Works. 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 47,700 51,000 46,200 42,600 39,850 47.7 43.5 45.1 39.7 44.1 28.7 25.2 27.3 23.8 23.2 87.8 22.0 40.1 23.5 36.1 21.3 45.2 29.6 43.0 27.8 44.1 28.3 That there is still a consumption at the rate of from 30 to 35 gallons per capita during the hours of the night when little water should be used proves, that a large amount of preventable waste still exists. In the Charlestown experiments the night rate was reduced to 15.3 gallons per capita, and in East Boston, during the years 1882 and 1883, even better results were obtained. In the latter district the night rate was reduced to about 12 gallons in a district containing 25,000 inhabitants. This system of waste prevention is in use to a large extent in England, where greater attenti©! has been paid to the question of waste prevention than in the United States. The records of the Deacon meters do not include the waste due to allow- ing the water to run for the purpose of preventing the freezing of services,: as the meters are not operated during the winter. APPENDIX. 171 , The average daily consumption of the Cochituate and Mystic works for the months of November, 1892, and May, 1893, was 51,924,600 gallons, while for the intervening winter months it was 60,149,600 gallons. The difference of 8,225,000 gaUons per day, equivalent to 3,380,000 gallons ,per day or 6 gallons per capita for the entire year, may properly be charged to the cold weather waste. That this cause of waste is not con- fined to places where the buildings and plumbing are old is shown by the records of consumption in Brookline, where the houses are generally modern and heated throughout. In Brookline the consumption during the month of January, 1893, was 41 per cent, greater than during the previous mouth, of November, while the increase in Boston was 34 per cent. • Measurements taken in Brookline from June to December, 1891, showed that the consumption from midnight to four a.m. was at the rate of 210,000 gallons per day, or 44 per cent, of the total consumption ; and after a careful inspection of every fixture the night consumption was still at the rate of 144,000 gallons, or 17.7 gallons per capita. In both Newton and Brookline a large percentage of the taps are metered. Measurements made on the Mystic works during the week ending Aug. 20, 1893, gave the following rates of consumption for different portions of the twenty-four hours : — Time. One A.M. to four a m. Four A.M. to seven A.M. Seven a.m. to ten a.m. Ten A.M. to one p.m. One-p.M. to four p.m. Four P.M. to seven p.m. Seven p.m. to ten p.m. Ten P.M. to one a.m. Rate per Head per Day. OalloDS. 40.8 58 6 103.8 93.0 98.2 79.6 61.9 62.9 Average, 73.6 In this case the minimum rate was nearly sixty per cent, of the average and forty per cent, of the maximum. As it is probable that at least 30 gallons of the night rate was wasted, and as we may consider this a uniform rate of waste in the twenty-four hours, the difference between 73.6 and 30, equal to 43.6 gallons, represents quite closely the actual necessary con- sumption with some allowance for unavoidable leakage. Deducting 15 gaUons per capita, which is the quantity used by meter measurement for trade and manufacturing purposes, there remains 28 gallons as the actual requirements for domestic purposes on the Mystic works. That there exists a waste of from 40 to 50 per cent, of the total consump- tion in most cities and towns where meters are not generally used is an 172 APPENDIX. accepted fact by those who have studied the question ; but it is, I think, the popular idea that this enormous waste can be and is almost entirely prevented by the use of water meters on the services. The advocates of the use of meters have pointed to the low consumption of those places where meters are used as a proof of this statement ; but, while there is no doubt as to the beneficial effect of the use of meters in preventing waste, I do not think that they will accomplish all that is generally claimed. The results obtained in the cities and towns where the largest number of meters are in use show that while the consumption per capita is smaller than in unmetered places of the same general character, stUl, a very large proportion of the water which the pumping records show is pumped into the mains is not recorded by the service meters. A very striking proof of this statement is furnished by one of the towns in the metropolitan district. All the water used in the town is measured by a meter on the supply main, and every service pipe is provided with a meter. The works are but four years old, have 18 mUes of cast-iron mains, 376 services supplying about 2,300 persons, and, with the exception of water used for flushing mains, street sprinkling, street construction, and for fires, all of the water used is measured by meters on the service pipes. The daily average amount registered by the meter on the supply main in 1893 was 128,560 gallons, while the total recorded by the service meters was 65,180 gallons. Allowing 2,000 gallons per day for blowing off pipes and fires, there remains 61,380 gallons, or nearly 50 per cent, of the total consumption which is unaccounted for. During the months of May and June, 1894, a careful inspection was made of all the mains and services, resulting in the suppression of leaks, so that during July and August about 90 per cent, of the total quantity recorded by the meter on the supply main was accounted for by the sei-vice meters. In Newton and Fall River, Mass., and Woonsoeket, E. I., similar results are shown. In the city of Newton all sei-vices, with the exception of houses having a single faucet, are metered ; and yet making a liberal allowance for the amount used by the unmetered takers, the quantity of water delivered into the premises of the water takers during the year 1892 was but little more than one-half of the total quantity pumped. Of a daily average consump- tion of 1,288,000 gallons, 595,600 gallons were used for public purposes or wasted from the street mains or services, or passed through the meters without being recorded. In the city of Fall Eiver, during 1892, 2,217,370 gallons per day, equiv- alent to 27.24 gallons per capita, were pumped into the mains ; and 1,274,500 gallons, or 15.66 gallons per capita, were sold ; leaving 942,870 gallons, or 11.58 gallons per inhabitant. A small portion of this was used in city buildings and for other public uses ; but at least 10 gallons per APPENDIX. 173 capita, or 814,000 gallons per day, more than one-third of the total con- sumption, cannot be accounted for. In Woonsocket, E I., aU but a very few of the services are metered, and those few are aU provided with self-closing faucets and have no hose connections The quantities recorded by the meters and the amounts pumped during the year 1893 are as follows : — Pumped. Recorded by- Meters. Percentage. December 1 to March 1, . . . . March 1 to June 1, . . . . June 1 to September 1, September 1 to Decemljer 1, . . . Total for year, Estimated quantity used for street watering, fountains, etc., Quantity used by takers paying schedule rates, Total, 46,662,321 46,763,500 61,689,227 60,193,139 21,233,500 J 45.5 26,995,684 68.9 31,943,211 26,802,669 204,208,187 106,975,064 25,000,000 10,000,000 204,208,187 141,975,064 61.8 53.4 62.4 69.5 In the calculation of the quantity pumped, an allowance of 5 per cent, has been made for the slip of the pumps. Notwithstanding the fact that more than 80 per cent, of the taps are metered, the records show that 62,000,000 gallons per annum, or more than 30 per cent, of the total quantity pumped, is wasted from the mains and services. These great differences can only be attributed to errors in the quantities registered by the pumps and meters, or to waste and leakage from the street mains and service pipes. It does not seem probable that the loss due to the slip of the pumps and the loss in registration of the meters is more than 20 per cent, of the quantity registered by the pumps, in which case there seems to be con- clusive evidence that the leakage from the mains is an important factor, and that the use of meters wiU not prevent aU waste of water. Proper Allowance per Capita. The determination of the quantity to be allowed for domestic use in the metropolitan water supply district depends largely upon whether it be assumed that the use of meters is to be made general, and a more thorough inspection made for waste than has been the rule in past years, or whether the theory that it is cheaper to supply water than to prevent waste is to be carried out in the future as it has been in the past. The records of the cities and towns where the most attention has been given to. the prevention 174 APPENDIX. of waste, indicates that at the present time the legitimate demand for domestic use is not more than 30 gallons per capita. In estimating the quantity to be provided for future years, consideration should be given to the great increase in the number of water fixtures. Table No. 7 gives the number of the different varieties of water fixtures in use on the Sudbury and Cochituate works in 1870, 1880, 1890 and 1892, together with the percentage of increase, as compared with the increase in population and consumption : — ■ Table No. 7. Number of Water Fixtures in Use and Fixtures per Capita, etc., on the Cochituate Works, from 1870 to 1892. Per Per Per NAME OF FIXTUEE. 1870. Cent. In- crease. I880. Cent. In- crease. 1890. Cent. In- crease. 1802. Taps, . . . 6,893 66,6 9,228 61.7 14,922 12.0 16,706 Sinks, . 53,010 69.4 84,498 39 7 118,066 6.0 126,161 Bowls, . 23,961 92.5 46,116 39.8 64,462 6.2 68,448 Bath-tubs, 8,892 93.8 17,230 85.2 31,914 17.6 37,496 Water-closets, 26,050 107.7 62,030 75.4 91,280 12 6 102,687 Urinals, . . 2,44T 65.1 4,041 20.7 4,879 -2.6 4,754 Wash tubs, , 9,616 99'1 19,139 126.7 43,389 23.0 63,360 Private hydrants 647 —63.9 197 —81.7 36 —60.0 18 Slop hoppers . T23 32.2 956 66.2 1,493 —4.1 1,432 Foot baths, . 73 90.4 139 101.4 280 —7 1 260 Hydraulic rams, . . ^ 13 -100.0 - - - - - Totals 130,234 79.3 233,574 68.7 370,721 10.7 410,311 Total population, . . 260,600 31.7 330,000 24.4 410,600 4.8 430,200 Dally average consumption, . 16,267,700 72.2 28,000,000 21.0 33,871,700 22.0 41,312,400 Fixtures per capita. 0.620 36.2 0.708 27.6 0.903 6.6 0.954 Consumption per capita, 64.9 31.0 85.0 —2.9 82.5 16.4 96.0 Consumption per fixture, . 124.8 -3.9 119.9 —23.8 91.4 10.6 101.0 The proportion of fixtures per capita was nearly twice as large in 1890 as in 1870. Although it is not to be expected that a person will double ^ the use of water because he has twice as many opportunities of drawing | it, yet increased use will surely follow from the increase in the number of ' fixtures. Another cause of increased consumption is increased pressure in the mains and services. The constant tendency towards increased height of APPENDIX. 175 buildings creates a continued demand for increased pressure in the supply mains, and with a large pressure there is more lavish use of water and a greater waste by leakage. Taking into consideration all of the facts of past experience, I am of the opinion that 35 gallons per capita is a liberal allowance for domestic use in the metropolitan district for the next thirty years. For trade and mechanical purposes there is, as before stated, at present a demand for nearly 30 gallons per capita, a large proportion of which is metered, and must, therefore, be considered as legitimate use. The quantity per capita has increased rapidly during the past few years, and it does not appear to me that it will be safe to estimate upon less than 35 gallons per head for these purposes. The present requirements of public use I have estimated as 4 gallons per capita, and for the future increase I have added 1 gallon, making 5 gallons. We have now considered the three uses of water, and find that for domestic use 35 gallons should be suflScient ; that the demand for trade and manufacturing will before many years require at least 35 gallons more, and that 5 gallons are needed for public purposes, or a total of 75 gallons. This quantity represents the amount estimated as required to supply the actual lieeds of a community similar in character to that within ten miles of Boston, with no allowance for waste ; for, although it is probable that a portion of the water sold and paid for by meter measurement is thrown away, it seems to me that in considering the question we must consider water paid for by meter measurement as legitimately used. To this amount of 75 gallons must be added an allowance for waste. From my knowledge and experience in the operation of the Deacon waste detection system in Boston, and judging from the facts as to the quantity of water pumped which cannot be accounted for in cities and towns using meters, I do not think it possible that the waste can be maintained below 15 gallons per capita ; and, if the use of meters or some efficient system of waste prevention is not adopted, the amount wasted will be, as it now is in some of our large cities, from 30 to 60 gallons per inhabi- tant. The allowance of 15 gallons per inhabitant for leakage and waste is a minimum quantity, and could only be maintained by a thorough meter system and constant inspection. While I am very firmly of the opinion that stringent measures should be adopted to prevent unnecessary use and waste of water, still, in view of the uncertainties of the accomplishment of the desired results, it seems to me that it will be unsafe to estimate upon less than 25 gallons as an allow- ance for waste. This added to 75 gallons gives 100 gallons per capita as the quantity which should be used in estimating the requirements of the next thirty years. Respectfully submitted, DEXTER BRACKETT. 176 APPENDIX. Appendix No. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF THE SUDBURY RIVER WATER BY THE DRAINAGE OF THE SWAMPS UPON THE WATER-SHED. Bt Desmond FitzGeeald. Boston, Aug. 20, 1894. Feedekic p. Stearns, Esq., Chief Engineer, State Board of Health. Dear Sie : — The following report is submitted in answer to your request for a statement as to the improvement that can be expected in the color of Sudbury River water by draining the swamps upon the water-shed, together with the estimated cost of the work. Studies made during the past four years upon the colors of the waters forming the Boston water supply have assumed important proportions, and have revealed some interesting and valuable facts. In the seventeenth annual report of the Boston Water Board for the year 1892 it was shown that the color found in surface waters, such as brooks, rivers and upper levels of lakes, is not due to iron, but almost entirely to the presence of organic matter. Observations made upon the Boston water works have proved that the color is a measure of the vegetable matter. Any improvements, therefore, which tend to reduce the color after it has once been taken up, or to prevent it from getting into the water, may be estimated as of value in proportion to the reduction of color. Large sums were expended upon the Boston storage reservoirs in remov- ing the loam and other organic matter from the sites of the reservoirs. In consequence partly of this outlay it is found that instead of acquiring color during storage, the water, if sufficient time is allowed, actually loses color. During the summer it bleaches to a greater or less degree. We must, therefore, look elsewhere for the source of color. Careful investigation has shown that the swamps upon the water-sheds are principally responsible. These swamps have been surveyed in many instances, and the colors of the waters determined at various seasons of the year at many places, both where the waters of the inlets come into the APPENDIX. 177 s-wamps and where the brooks flow out of the swamps. The colors in the storage and distributing reservoirs and at several points in the pipe system in the city have also been recorded at the same time, and in this way a mass of information has been obtained to furnish data for an intelligent study of the most effective way to reduce the color. Much perplexity has arisen from the inability to measure colors accu- rately and easily and to represent them by a true scale. A detailed report upon this subject wiU be found in a report to the Boston Water Board, pub- lished in the "Annual Report of the "Water Supply Department for the year 1893." It is unnecessary to repeat here what has been so fully set forth in that report. The colors given in the present report have all been reduced to the platinum-cobalt standard, which represents a true scale of color, and one which can be at any time reproduced with accuracy. The colors now observed upon the Boston water works are all taken by means of the colorimeter, described and illustrated in the report referred to, using the platinum standard. For this standard we are indebted to Mr. Allen Hazen, chemist of the State Board of Health ; and if its advantages could be appreciated, no other standard would be used. In the nesslerized ammonia or other standards there are errors of intervals in the scale, to say nothing of other sources of error. Of course the colors here given cannot be compared with those based upon the Nessler scale without a correction, which can, however, be made by means of the following table : — Table for Converting Nessler Scale to Platinum. Nessler, . .10 .20 .30 .40 .50 .60 .70 .80 .90 1.00 Platinum, . .18 .26 .33 .39 .46 .52 .58 .63 .70 .81 Nessler, . 1.10 1.20 1.30 1.40 1.50 1.60 1.70 1.80 1.90 2.00 Platinum, . .88 .95 1.02 1.09 1.16 1.22 1.29 1.36 1.43 1.60 The average color of Sudbury River water, as delivered at Chestnut Hill Reservoir is . 68 ; and of the Cochituate, delivered at the same point, .27 ; and the mixture of these two waters after passing through Chestnut Hill Reservoir is delivered into the mains with a color of 0.48. In the centre of the city at Park Square the color is 0.48, and at Mattapan it is 0.44. The quantity of water delivered to the city of Boston from the Cochituate source is a definite daily amount. As the consumption increases, a greater proportion of water has to be suppUed from the highly colored Sudbury, which raises the color of the mixture. WhUe it is probably possible to lower the color of the Cochituate somewhat, it would not be worth while to undertake the task, as this is practicaUy a colorless water. With the Sud- bury, however, the case is different, and to this water we will now turn our attention. 178 APPENDIX. Considering the waters of Eeservoirs II. and III., which are the lowest reservoirs upon the two branches of the Sudbury, in proportion to their water-sheds, we find that the water is almost exactly the same as that de- livered at Chestnut Hill Reservoir ; so that, as we should expect, there is no material improvement in color arising from the passage underground through the brick aqueduct sixteen miles in length. The color of the Sud- bury at the point of diversion may therefore be placed at 0.70 in round numbers, with the present development ; that is to say, this is the average color after passing through the storage reservoirs, with their various fluctu- ations of level. If Eeservoirs II. , III. and IV. did not exist, the color would probably be 0.81, which has been determined by combining the colors of the influents in proportion to their drainage areas. The effect of these reservoirs in reducing the color may be placed at about 14 per cent. Reservoir IV. (see accompanying plan) covers an area of 167 acres and contains 1,400,000,000 gallons. Its water-shed has an area of 6.43 square miles. The depth of water is about 50 feet at the dam. The daily yield is estimated at 4,900,000 gallons. The water is received almost entirely at the upper end, "A." The color of the water has here been observed weekly for nearly four years, and from these observations the average of the twelve monthly colors has been found to be 1 . 04 ; but, as the amount of water flowing varies very much in the different months, the monthly averages have been multiplied by factors corresponding to the flows, and the summation of these products divided by the factor corresponding to the total flow, which gives . 94 as the true average color of all the water entering at "A." In order to determine the effect of the reservoir itself in reducing the color of the water, we have to make an allowance for the portion of the water-shed below "A," which has been assumed as supplying water of a color of 0.40. When this figure is combined with 0.94, we have finally 0.88 as the probable color of all the water entering the reservoir, which is fiJled during the winter and spring months, and is emptied generally during the months of August, Sep- tember and October. During these months the water at the outlet now averages 0.56 for color. With 0.88 as the color of the water entering the reservoir, and 0.56 as the color at the outlet, we have 36 per cent, reduc- tion in color due to storage. In Resei-voir VI., just completed, it is estimated that a reduction of color will take place in about the same ratio. As Reservoirs IV. and VI. are large compared with the others, and as the organic matter has all been removed from their bottoms and the drainage areas are small, then- great value in removing color can be understood. It is expected that Reservoir V., now building, will reduce Stony Brook from 0.66 where it enters the reservoir to 0.40 at its outlet ; and, combin- ing this color with the others in proportion to their water-sheds, the color APPENDIX. 179 of the Sudbury when the new reservoir is completed will probably be about 0.60, instead of 0.70. Having now considered the effect of the reservoirs in reducing the colors of the waters, it remains to discuss the seasonal changes in color of the l-brooks. As observations have not been taken with the same frequency or regularity at aU points on the brooks, it is necessary to inquire whether an approximate average can be found from a few scattered observations at any given point. Many observations, both upon Cold Spring Brook and elsewhere, have shown that there is a certain regularity of seasonal change in the colors of the brooks upon the Sudbury water-shed. Curves have been constructed, showing the ratios of the monthly colors to the annual mean. From an inspection of these curves we find that the water attains its highest color in the month of June, that it then rapidly loses color until September, that towards the end of October the color increases rapidly until December, when the curve forms a second maximum, although one lower in color than that of June. After December the color decreases to the middle of March, when the lowest point is reached, as low as in September, after which it increases steadily to the June maximum. In the spring of the year the swamps are overflowed, and the color is low on account of dilution ; but as the yields of the water-sheds diminish, the color increases untU. June, at which time the pools standing upon the swamps are discharging their last water into the brooks. After this time many of the smaller swamps, particularly at the head waters, yield no flow. The water standing in them may be highly colored, but the effect is not felt until later. The color in the brooks consequently falls until evaporation diminishes in the autunin, and the yield of the streams begins to increase. I When heavy rains occur during the summer, the color of the streams increases temporarily, as has been found by plotting the daily flow of Cold Spring Brook at "A," together with the rainfall and the color. The effect of such storms as those in August and September, 1892, is thus clearly shown. In the autumn, the freshly fallen leaves and decaying vegetable matter give a slightly different hue to the water, which is rather more greenish than in June, when the color comes from the older peat, which gives a reddish- brown color. So persistent is this seasonal variation in amount of color that it is dis- tinctly noticed even in the tap water in the city, although of course mod- ified by storage in the large reservoirs. The distinctive character of this cycle of changes may be contrasted with conditions prevailing in Lake Cochituate. There the two maxima occur in April and November. Dur- ing the winter, when the surface is frozen, the bleaching effects are dimin- ished, and the color of the water increases until April. During this month the ice disappears and the sun and air begin the work of bleaching, and the 180 APPENDIX. color decreases. In November, when the period of stagnation at the bot-^ torn ceases, and the highly colored water at the bottom comes to the sur- face after the great turn-over, we have a second maximum, due partly to the iron in the water at the bottom. With the assistance of the curves already referred to, the observed col- ors have been transformed into averages of the twelve monthly colors, and further into the mean color of the total quantity of water flowing, in order to place them upon the same basis as the average 0.94 already found at "A." Investigations have shown that when planning improvements for the drainage of the swamps, which are the chief sources of color in the water, every swamp must be studied by itself, and that the methods of treatment will differ in detail, although the general principles may remain the same. Two areas of swampy ground have been selected for illustration in this report. The first lies at the head waters of Reservoir IV. in Ashland and Hopkinton, and the second is the largest swamp upon the Sudbury River water-shed, and lies between Rocklawn Mills and "Westborough, upon the main line of the Boston & Albany Railroad. In the first of these cases the method of treatment proposed is by ditches, while in the second these ditches rise to the magnitude of canals of consid- erable cost, furnished with structures of careful design. Head "Waters of Reservoir TV. The plan shows in detail the situation of the swamps upon the feeders of Reservoir IV. About a mile above its inlet are two small mill-ponds, and above these ponds is a succession of swamps on the different branches of the brook. The places where the colors have been observed are designated by the letters and numbers which are seen on the plan and in the first column of the subjoined table of colors. Column 2 gives the areas of the water-sheds above the points designated. The mean colors of the total quantities flow- ing at these points are given in column 3, and beside them in column 4 are the colors which it is estimated will be found after the contemplated improve- ments have been made. These are called " future colors." The latter have been obtained by beginning at the upper portions of each feeder, and estimating the effect of each particular local improvement upon the brook at the successive points. The peculiarities of each case have been studied by an examination of the ground. The depth of the peat, its present effect upon the color of the water and the character of the drainage proposed have entered as factors into the problem. The key to the solution lies in the fact that with the data at hand the present effect of any given piece of swamp can be detected. We have the average color of the various influent waters to compare with APPENDIX. 181 Table of Average Colors of All the Water flowing at Various Points upon the Branches of Cold Spring Brook, feeding Reservoir lY, Column 1. LOCATION ON PLAN. Column 2. Areaa in Million Square Feet. Column 3. Present Colors. Column 4. Fatare Colors. A, . B, . C, . D, . E, . F, . G, . H, . No. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, ; 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, ' 18, 19, 21, 32, 33, 152.7 122.5 105.4 83.3 9.4 10.7 2.8 17.4 2.5 6.7 28.5 6.9 1.9 11.4 14.6 85.5 10.4 10.3 26.0 .94 1.00 1.04 1.17 1.03 1.37 1.44 .55 1.09 .85 .57 1.00 .47 .32 1.14 .67 1.16 .52 .52 .44 1.39 .37 1.40 .27 .62 1.33 .48 .70 .73 .76 .84 .70 .73 .40 1.09 .85 .48 .60 .47 .32 .77 .67 .64 .30 .52 .44 .72 .25 .74 .27 .48 .46 the effluent. The difference is evidently the effect of the swanip. If all the influent water is carried through or around the swamp in channels of I sufficient capacity and at a proper grade to prevent contact with the swamp, it is evident that the effect of the swamp will be very much reduced, although it has not been found practicable to plan the channels in such a manner as wholly to eliminate the effect of the swamps. The ditches which are pro- posed are shown by heavy lines on the plan. When the swamp is long and narrow, as above No. 15 and No. 4, it has been decided to dig a single deep channel through the middle ; where the swamp lies in a more rounded form, as between No. 14 and No. 10, intercepting channels have been planned around the swamp. One of these channels will generally be larger than the other, to take the influent water from the larger portion of the water-shed ; and the other channels will be more in the nature of surface pitches discharging into the former. 182 APPENDIX, To render the method of procedure clearer, the following example has been selected from this group of swamps, and the calculations are given in full. It is desired to know what is the present effect of Cedar Meadows above No. 8, and what the future effect will be when drained. Present Conditions. AreaB in Product, MllUons of Color B. ) SxpresBive of Square Feet. Coloring Matter. No. 8, . 28.5 X 1.14 = 32.49 19, . 10.4 X 0.27 :z:z 2.85 21 . 10.3 X 0.62 = 6.39 ifj., . . - - Upland, . 27.1 . 76.3 X X 0.38 0.68 ~~ 10.30 Totals, .... 52.03 Cedar Meadows, 7.0 . 83.3 X X 8.87 1.37 I 62.09 Grand totals. 114.12 In the above table the colors of the first three numbers are from observa- tions. The color . 38 for the upland adjoining Cedar Meadows is deduced from other considerations. These four items make up the influents feeding the meadows. The grand total product 114.12 is from observations at F, the outlet of the meadows, where the average color is 1.37 and the area 83,300,000 square feet. It is obvious that the difference between 114.12 and 52.03 must represent the product value of the meadows, viz., 62.09, which, divided by their area, 7,000,000 square feet, gives 8.87 as the color now attributed to Cedar Meadows. Future Conditions. No, 8, . 19, . 21, Upland, Totals, Cedar Meadows- Grand totals, 61.06 -rf Areas In Millions of Square Feet. Colors. Product, Expresiive of Coloring Matter. 28.5 X 0.77 = 21.93 10.4 X 0.27 = 2.85 10.3 X 0.48 = 4.98 27.1 X 0.38 = 10.30 76.3 X 0.52 = 40.06 7.0 X 3.00 = 21.00 83.3 X 0.73 = 61.06 3 = 0.73, the new estimated color at the outlet F. It will be noticed that in the foregoing calculations the future average colors of the influents entering Cedar Meadows will be 0.52, deduced from proposed local improvements upon these feeders ; and that the present color of this water, taken from the first table, is . 68, and that the color attrib- uted to the Cedar Meadows area of 7,000,000 square feet is reduced APPEKDIX. 183 from 8.87 to 3.00; This latter is an assumption made uppn consideration of the fact that the water will be carried rapidly in the new channels, and that the character of Cedar Meadows will be changed to hard land by the lowering of its water table. . The depth of peat in Cedar Meadows is about 2.5 feet on the average, and by digging holes at a number of places it has been found that the colors of the water standing in the peat vary from 5.00 to 14.00. The peat is underlaid by white sand, in which the water is practically colorless, if reli- ance can be placed on the results of a test well. By the successive applications of the same method in a direction towards the mouth of the stream at "A," we estimate that the future mean color at this point will be 0.70 instead of 0.94, the present mean. It now remains to ascertain the efEect of Eeservou- IV. itself upon these colors. It is estimated that the future color 0.70 will be reduced about 36 percent., which is the same proportion as the present reduction already discussed, and that the future color at the outlet when the water is drawn off will be 0.45. This, then, is the final reduction of color which it is esti- inated will result from carrying out the drainage of the swamps upon the head waters of Reservoir IV., as suggested. It remains to give a brief description of the work, with the estimate of cost. Fortunately, there is ample faU to carry out the improvements at moderate expense. Starting at the head waters and working down stream, we have at No. 11 two small ditches of 10 square feet cross-section, with a combined length of 1,800 feet, 2 feet deep, slopes two to one, and 1 foot wide on the bottom. These will unite in a stream which will discharge into a channel to be cut along the easterly margin of the swamp below No. 13. For a length of 1,000 feet this channel will be 4 feet deep, with a cross-section of 24 square feet. For the next 1,000 feet, coming down to No. 10, the water will flow very nearly in the present channel. Above No. 10 and below the railroad crossing (No. 13) there wUl be an intercepting ditch along the westerly margin of the swamp, 2,200 feet long and 3 feet deep. The culvert in the road at No. 10 is to be lowered 2.5 feet, to grade 275.50. Below No. 10 the main channel will extend 1,700 feet an length, 3 feet wide at bottom and 3 . 5 feet deep. The intercepting ditches just below No. 10 will be 3,000 feet in length, with 12 square feet cross-section. The improvement on the branch of the brook above No. 15, extending north-easterly to the fine springs on Chetola farm, consists in a main channel of 20 square feet cross-section, 3,000 feet in length. At H the culvert is lowered 1.5 feet, to grade 314.50, and the stream lowered a short distance below the culvert. This brings us to Cedar Meadows, through which there are to be two main channels, one on each side ; that on the north side will be 2,200 feet long as far as No. 8, 4.5 deep and 2 feet wide at bottom. The remaining portion below No. 8 to F will be 3,100 feet long, 7 feet wide at bottom and 4.5 feet deep. The southerly channel is to be 4,200 feet long, 5 feet wide 184 APPENDIX. and 4 feet deep. The culvert at F is to be lowered 3 feet, to grade 260. A small intercepting ditch is proposed at the north-west end of Cedar Meadows, about 1,600 feet long and 3 feet deep. From F to E the main channel will be 1,700 feet long, 10 feet wide on bottom, with an average depth of 4.5 feet. On the branch of the brook above No. 4 we shall have, above No. 5, a ditch of 10 square feet area, 600 feet long. The culvert at No. 5 is to be lowered 2.5 feet, to grade 263.5. Below No. 5 there will be a channel following nearly the present brook, 1,600 feet long and with an additional cross-section of 8 square feet. Above the junction of the brook flowing from No. 6 there will be a ditch 700 feet long, of 10 square feet sectional area, and below this junction a channel 1,100 feet long, of 12 square feet additional section. The channels have been designed to carry three-quarters of an inch of rainfall collected in twenty-four hours, with a velocity of about 2 feet per second. In the main channels in Cedar Meadows this amount of water will give a depth of about 2 feet, leaving the surface still 2.5 feet below the present surface of the swamp. It is expected that the surface of the swamp will be lowered about . 75 feet from shrinkage after the improvements are car- ried out. The cost of carrying out all this work should be about $12,000, which is about $44 per acre of swamp, or $8.57 per million gallons of storage capacity in Reservoir IV., or about $2,000 per million gallons of available daily yield. Cedae Swamp. The second area adopted for illustration embraces Cedar Swamp, at the head waters of Sudbury Eiver in Westborough. The outlet of the swamp is controlled by a dam at Rocklawn Mills, now owned by the city of Bos- ton. The water-shed above this point is 20.2 square miles, of which in round numbers 3 are included in the swamp. The Boston & Albany RaUi-oad divides this swamp lengthwise into two portions, the larger of which lies upon the southerly side of the railway and has a water-shed of ,14. 8 square mOes. The portions of the swamp on the northerly side, with a water-shed of 5.4 square miles, are broken into irregular masses by the topography of the country, making the studies for drainage schemes exceedingly complicated. There are three large brooks entering the swamp from the south and a number of smaller ones from the north. An accompanying plan shows this territory. A sufficient number of soundings and borings have been put down to give an accurate idea of the materials to be encountered in building the canals. To the eastward of Cedar Swamp Pond the mud or peat is on an average about 4 feet in depth, but from the pond westerly the peaty deposits rapidly deepen over quite a large area, attaining a depth of 40 feet in some places. APPENDIX. 185 There are also some deep pockets of mud in the detached portions of the swamp north of the railway. The shallower portions of the swamp at the lower end are underlaid by a fine white sand, and quicksand is found in pockets upon portions of the territory. For the purpose of studying the colors of the waters, ten stations were selected, eight of these being at the inlets of the brooks into the swamp. No. 9 is just below Cedar SWamp Pond, and No. 10 at Rocklawn Mills. The following table shows the areas of the separate portions of the water- sheds above the points selected : — Table of Areas. Square Miles. ■Ro. 1, Small brook, north side, .64 2, Small brook, north side, .66 3, Small brook, north side, .52 4, Small brook, north side, .06 5, Denny Brook, south side, .37 6, Jackstraw Brook, south side, 1.64 7, Piccadilly Brook, south side, 1.78 8, Whitehall Brook, south side, 6.93 Upland below these points on the brooks, . = . . , 4.70 9, Swamp, 3.00 10, Total, Kocklawn Mills 20.20 The estimate of the present colors due to Cedar Swamp is based upon the observations recorded in the following table : — Table of Colors at Ten Points, Cedar Swamp. DATE. No.l. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. 110.5. No. G. Kg. 7. No. 8. No. 9. No. 10. May 14, 1892, .58 .29 .22 .36 .24 .70 .24 .81 1.29 1.16 June 2,1892, .66 .31 .29 1.16 .30 .35 .24 .88 1.85 1.65 July 12, 1892, .58 .22 - - .26 .15 .22 .75 .81 .81 Aug. 4,1892, .63 .32 .47 .61 .49 .09 .32 .62 .61 .88 Sept. 22, 1892, .41 .13 .15 - .29 .11 .18 .66 1.75 1.32 Dec. 12,1892, .45 .09 .20 .49 .21 .40 .20 .75 1.22 1.29 June 4,1894, .56 .20 .30 .87 .33 .40 .33 .80 2.80 2.40 Sum, 3.87 1.66 1.63 .27 3.49 2.12 2.20 1.73 5.27 10.33 9.51 .Mean, , .55 .22 .70 .30 .31 .25 .75 1.48 1.36 186 APPENDIX. The first eight columns in the above table represent the colors in the brooks entering the swamp. No. 9 is in the swamp and No. 10 is at the outlet. The mean color of the effluent No. 10, as thus observed, 1.36, has been reduced 13 per cent, to bring it to the average of the twelve monthly colors found by comparison with the seasonal curves ah-eady referred to, which gives 1.18. This color has been reduced 10 per cent. , to 1 . 06, the average color of the total quantity of water flowing at No. 10. The mean of the observed colors of the eight influents with their varying drainage areas is 0.52, which, when similarly reduced for the twelve months and for the fluctuating flow, gives 0.36 as the mean color for the total quan-. tity of influent water from 12.5 square miles of water-shed. ^ , If the 4.7 square miles of upland adjoining the swamp be debited with the same color, we shall have 17.2 square miles x 0.36 = 6.192. The effluent No. 10 = 20.2 x 1.06 = 21.412. If from 21.412 we subtract 6.192, we shall have 15.22 as the product for the swamp, which, divided by 3 square miles, gives 5.07 as the present color attributed to the swamp itself. It is estimated that this will be reduced to 2.0 by the construction of the proposed channels. If, now, we add 3 x 2 = 6.00 to 6.192, the product for the influents, we have 12.192; and if this be divided by 20.2, we tave 0.60 for the color of the water at No. 10 after the canals have been built ; that is to say, it is estimated that the average color of the water wiU be improved from 1.06 to 0.60, or 43 per cent. Desceiption of Canals. The scheme of works by which it is hoped to secure this reduction in color and organic matter in the water may be briefly described as follows : — Two main intercepting canals are projected, skirting the sides of the swamp upon the northerly and southerly sides of the railway, as shown on the plan. The southerly canal is to be very much the larger. It will drain 14.8 square miles on the south and also 2.5 square miles of the Westbor- ough end of the swamp lying to the north of the railway, making 17.3 square miles. This leaves 2.9 square miles for the northerly canal, which is in consequence comparatively inexpensive. The latter is to be carried . across the railway below Eocklawn Mills, and will there discharge into the river near the outlet of the southerly canal. The general plan upon which these canals have been designed is as follows : — Their capacity has been fixed to discharge . 75 inches of rainfall col- lected in twenty-four hours on their respective water-sheds, the depth to be such that the ordinary flow leaves the water line in the canal about 6 feet below the present level of the swamp ; the velocity in the canals at all times, even when running full, to be limited to 1 . 5 feet per second ; they must APPENDIX. 187 also be constructed to overflow safely at several points along their course, in times of extraordinary freshets. In the lower portions of the southerly canal the top width will be 38 . 22 feet. It will be 10 feet deep and 8 . 22 feet wide on the bottom, with slopes of 1.5 to 1. The sides and bottom will be of gravel. It is to be built just beyond the edge of the hard land, and, for purposes of economy, within the swamp. The channel has been located so as to avoid quicksand. As far as possible, a good bottom has been selected. As the outlet is to be a free discharge, even in times of high Imck water in the river, it is necessary to provide some method for using up the head. The canal will pass under a highway at Rocklawn Mills, and at this point the water will pass through a culvert 112 feet long, of 30 square feet sec- tional area. A heavily protected channel will extend a short distance below the culvert, and will be provided with a massive triangular notch at its out- let, below which the water will tumble over a mass of boulders into the river. By means of the notch the head will be held up in the culvert and the velocity regulated in the canal. The total cost of the works has been estimated at $250,000, a large sum, but this expenditure it is believed is justified by the great benefits to be, realized. This makes a cost of about $125 per acre of swamp. Owing to^ the magnitude of the work and the various difficulties attending its execu- tion, a special act was procured from the Legislature in 1892 to facilitate . the carrying out of the plan. If all the swamps existing upon the Sudbury River water-shed are improved upon the same general lines here laid down, it is estimated finally that when taken in connection with the effect of the storage, the color of Sudbury River water delivered at Chestnut Hill Reservoir may be reduced to 0.37. The estimated cost of carrying out all the drainage schemes is $350,000.. In conclusion, I desire to add that the estimated improvements in the- color of the water have been made upon a conservative basis ; but, even if the improvements in the color of the water are found to be no greater than here estimated, it wUl, I believe, be impossible to produce the same effect, by an equal expenditure of money in any other way now known to science^ Very truly yours, DESMOND FITZGERALD. 188 APPENDIX. Appendix No. 4. ON THE AMOUNT AND CHARACTER OF ORaANIC MATTER IN SOILS AND ITS BEARING ON THE STORAGE OF WATER IN RESERVOIRS.* By Thomas M. Drown, M.D., Chemist of the Board. Many statements have been made in previous reports of the Board, con- cerning the injurious effect on impounded water of the organic matter in the bottoms and sides of reservoirs, and great stress has been laid on the importance of removing all vegetation, as well as the upper layers of the soil, before filling a new basin with water, f In order to determine in any case just how far it is necessary to go in the removal of the surface soil, a knowledge of the composition of the sou, based on chemical analysis, is a much surer guide than the unaided eye. It is not merely a question of the effective cleaning of the bottom and sides of the reservoir, but also of avoiding the expense involved in stripping the soil to a greater depth than is necessary. In connection with the investigations of the State Board of Health, relative to a water supply for the city of Boston and its suburbs, surveys have been made for an immense storage reservoir on the south branch of the Nashua River above Clinton, and it was thought desirable that a thorough knowledge of the character of the soil should be obtained as a basis for determining the amount which it would be necessary to remove to obtain a clean bottom and sides practically free from organic matter. Samples of soUs, repre- senting sections of the ground to a depth of three feet, were taken at nine places in Clinton, Sterling, West Boylston, and Boylston, and in one case at the bottom of a mill pond. * Reprinted from the 25tli annual report of the Mass. State Board of Health for 1893. t Compare special report of the State Board of Health upon the Examination of "Water Supplies, 1890, pages 748, 772, 773; annual report of State Board of Health for 1891, page 381. APPENDIX. 189 Each of these nine sections were divided into six or seven samples for analysis, the upper portion being divided into thin layers of two to three inches, the lower portions, with less organic matter, into layers of six inches to one foot in depth. The amount of organic matter in these samples was determined (after careful drying to a constant weight at 100° C.) by heating the samples to a bright red heat. The loss on ignition thus obtained represents approxi- mately the organic matter in the samples. But in order to get a better knowledge off the character of this organic matter, the amounts of carbon and of nitrogen were also determined in each sample, — the former by combustion in oxygen, the latter by the Kjeldahl method. In series 9 and 10, the amount of hydrogen was also determined.* Owing to tlfie heterogeneous character of many of the samples, composed often of a mixture of soil, roots and large stones, it is sometimes ex- tremely difficult to get a sample for analysis that shall fairly represent the layer in question. Perhaps some of the apparent uregularities in the results may be due to this cause. But though this difficulty is inherent in the investigation, it is no\ believed to seriously affect the results, or the conclusions drawn from ther The results obtained in the Walyses of the nine sections of soil, and the deposit from the bottom of the\ mill pond, are given in the accompanying tables. The largest amount of organic matter found was from a swamp at the head of Boylston Mil/ Pond (Series 7), and the next largest in amount from the hillside near the site of the proposed dam (Series 4). The other series, from very dissimilar ground, did not differ very widely in the amount of organic matter present, although they included both un- wooded and uncultivated land and wooded and manured pasture land. But in all the series there is usually a rapid falling off in the amount of the organic matter below a depth of nine to eleven inches. At the depth of three feet the amount of organic matter, as shown by the loss on ignition, in no case reaches two per cent., and in the majority of the cases it is below one per cent. The mud taken from the bottom of the Mill Pond at different points contained very variable amounts of organic matter, from almost nothing at one place in the shallow portion to nearly 15 per cent, in the deeper portion. It was thought that the relation of the amount of nitrogen to the amount of carbon in the organic matter might throw some light on its character and its likelihood to undergo decomposition. This relation is given to the column headed -. The only series in which the nitrogen ratio is noticeably higher than the rest is No. 5, from low pasture land. Series Nos. 4 and 6, both from hillsides, show a noticeably high carbon ratio, and the others are not very dissimilar in their proportion of carbon to nitrogen. * All the analyses in this investigation were made by Miss Elizabeth Mason. 190 APPENDIX. An attempt was made to imitate the conditions which would obtain if the reservoir should be filled with water without removing the soil, in order to determine what would be the effect of each of the soils examined on water in contact with it. It is obvious that no laboratory experiment could exactly reproduce the conditions which would exist in a reservoir. Thus it would not be easy to imitate the period of long stagnation of the water during the summer, when the deeper layers of the water are in con- tact with the soil without an opportunity to get a fresh supply of oxygen from the air. Still it was thought that some idea of the effect of the dif- ferent soils on the water could be obtained by treating the samples with water for a definite time, and then examining the solutions thus obtained with respect to the character of the organic matter dissolved. In order to hasten the action of the water on the soils, it was heated to 65° C, and the time of contact at this temperature was six hours. The waters were then filtered and the filtrate examined by the usual methods used in the sanitary analysis of water. After standing one week the waters were again tested for free ammonia, to ascertain the amount of decomposition which had gone on in this time, thus obtaining information as to the char- acter of the organic matter dissolved. The actual amounts of organic matter found in these solutions, as indicated by the albuminoid ammonia and oxygen consumed, are not especially significant, since they would probably have been very different if another temperature or a greater or less time of treatment had been adopted. But a comparison of the amounts dissolved from the soils in each series, and a comparison of the series with each other, yield information as to the relative facility with which each of the samples examined gives up organic matter to water with which it comes in contact. In the various experiments tried the proportion of soil to water differed, and in some cases distilled water was used and in others Cochituate water. But in the tables the results of series 1 to 8 have been calculated to repre- sent the effect of the treatment of 100 grams of soil with two litres of pure water at 65° C. for six hours. In series 9 and 10 no heat was em- ployed. In these experiments 250 grams of each sample were placed in a bottle with two litres of pure distilled water. After one week, one litre of this water was filtered off and analyzed, and at the end of the second week the remaining water was examined. In comparing these tables of analyses of the waters with the corre- sponding tables giving the percentage determinations of loss on ignition, carbon and nitrogen, a general agreement will be noticed ; that is to say, the samples containing the most organic matter give, as a rule, the most concentrated solutions of organic matter. But the analyses do not indicate more than a very general correspondence of this kind. It will also be noted that the amount of decomposition going on in these solutions, indicated by the increase of free ammonia on standing one week, is, in general, also APPENDIX. 191 proportional to the amount of organic matter present. The most notable increase in the free ammonia is generally in the solutions prepared from the surface samples. In solutions from the deeper samples there is gener- ally a decrease of free ammonia indicating doubtless its oxidation to nitrates. The samples from the bottom of the Mill Pond (series 8) give solutions which have little or no tendency to develop free ammonia. This might be expected from the fact that the organic matter they contain has long been in contact with water. The effect of the soil on the color of water is given both for colorless distilled water, and for Cochituate water having an original color of about 0.55 on the scale used in the analyses of the State Board of Health. In these color determinations the water was not heated, and the length of time of contact with the soil was about 18 hours. It will be noticed that in some cases the deeper samples actually duninished the color of the Cochituate water. As a preliminary conclusion, based on the facts determined in this investigation, it may be said that the effect of the organic matter in these various soils on the water in contact with them is simply a question of its amount, and that its origin and composition seem to be without marked influence. The watershed from which the samples were taken is very sparsely populated, and the organic matter in all cases is mainly of vege- table origin. It is probable, therefore, that we need only concern ourselves with the amount of organic matter in a soil of this character in determining the necessity of its removal, and as a provisional standard we may perhaps fix 1.5 to 2 per cent, of organic matter, as determined by the loss on igni- tion of the sample dried at 100° C, as the permissible limit of organic mat- ter that may be allowed to remain on the bottom and sides of a resei"voir. 192 APPENDIX. Series 1. From a Cornfield One-quarter Mile below Clarendon Mills, West Boylston, Culti- vated Fertilized Ground in Bottoms. Samples taken from Surface to Three Feet below Surface. All Samples dried at 100° C. Loss on Ignition. (Percent.) Carbon. (Per Cent.) Nitrogen. (Per Cent.) Ratio. n la. Surface to 2 In. below 8.54 6.12 0.47 10.9 V>. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, 6.83 3.55 0.21 16.9 1c. 4 Id. to 6 in. below surface, 7.43 3.47 0.30 11.5 Id. i in. to 9 in. below surface, 4.27 2.03 0.21 9.7 1«. 9 in. to 14 in. below surface, 1.37 0.26 0.04 6.5 If. 14 In. to 20 in. below surface, . 1.07 0.16 0.02 8.0 ]p. 3 feet below surface 0.78 0.15 0.05 3.0 Sanitary Analysis of Water with which the Soils had been treated as described. [Parts per 100,000.] Free Ammonia. Free Ammonia after Standing One Week. Albumi- noid Ammonia. Oxygen Con- sumed. Color with Distilled Water. Effect of Soils on Color of Cochltuate Water of Color 0.55. la. Surface to 2 In. below, lb. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, Ic. 4 in. to 6 In. below surface, Id. 6 in. to 9 in. below surface, le. 9 in, to 14 In. below surface, . If. 14 In. to 20 in. below surface, . Ig. 3 feet below surface, . 0.0343 0.0424 0.0317 0.0317 0.0212 0.0194 0.0229 0.1107 0.0984 0.0913 0.0359 0.0076 0.0076 0.0374 0.1914 0.1437 0.1538 0.0881 0.0351 0.0189 0.0105 2.2368 2.0837 2.5290 0.9733 0.4947 0.2615 0.2763 Notdet'd. II Not det'd. II 1 APPENDIX. 193 Series 2. From a very Steep Slope One-quarler Mile below Clarendon Mills, West Boylston. Not wooded or cultivated. Samples taken from Surface to Three Feet below Surface. All Samples dried at lOCP G. Loss on Ignition. (Percent.) Carbon. (Per Cent.) Nitrogen. (Percent.) Katio. c n 2a. Surface to 2 in. below 4.55 2.26 0.14 16.1 ib. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, 10.19 6.00 0.27 18.5 2(!. 4 in. to 7 in. below surface, 7.62 2.62 0.36 7.0 2d. Tin. to 10 in. below surface, 7.70 2.93 0.21 14.0 2e. 10 in. to 16 in. below surface, . 1.01 0.18 0.05 3.6 2/. 16 in. to 22 in. below surface, . 1.63 0.24 0.13 1.8 2g. 3 feet below surface 0.80 0.23 0.03 7.7 Sanitary analysis of water with which the Soils had been treated as described. [Parts per 100,000.] Free Ammonia. Free Ammonia after Standing One Week. Albumi- noid Ammonia. Oxygen Con- sumed. Color with Distilled Water. Effect of Soils on Color of Cochituate Water of Color 0.55. 2a. Surface to 2 in. below. 0.0340 0.0669 0.0852 1.4732 0.40 0.90 26. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, 0.0227 0.1215 0.1372 2.3334 0.43 1.00 2c. 4 in. to 7 in. below surface. 0.0227 0.0335 0.1261 2.3092 0.35 0.85 2d. 7 in. to 10 in. below surface, . 0.0178 0.0062 0.1349 2.6945 0.52 0.85 2e. 10 in. to 16 in. below surface, . 0.0307 0.0130 0.0205 0.5428 0.15 0.70 2/. 16 in. to 22 in. below surface, . 0.0190 0.0000 0.0196 0.4560 Zff. 3 feet below surface, . 0.0323 0.0213 0.0267 0.3756 0.00 0.45 194 APPENDIX. Series 3. From Pasture Land One Mile North of South Clinton Station. Sandy and Gravelly and Nearly Level. Samples taken from Surface to Three Feet below Surface. All Samples dried at 100° C. Loss on Ignition. (Percent.) Carbon. (Per ■Cent.) Nitrogen. (Per Cent.) Ratio, c n 3a. Surface to 2 in. below r.86 3.51 0.27 13.0 36. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface. 6.86 2.18 0.24 9.1 3c. 4 in. to 6 in. below surface, 4.93 2.28 0.20 11.4 3d. 6 in. to 11 in. below surface, 1.73 0.60 0.03 16.7 Se. 11 in. to 16 In. below surface, . 1.43 0.13 0.04 3.3 3/. 16 in. to 36 in. below surface, . 0.81 0.02 0.02 1.0 Sanitary Analysis of Water with which the Soils had been treated as described. [Parts per 100,000.] Free Ammonia. Free Ammonia after Standing One Week. Albumi- noid Ammonia. Oxygen Con- sumed. Color with Distilled Water. Effect of Boils on Color of Cochituate Water of Color 0.55. 3a. Surface to 2 in. below, 86. 2 to 4 in. below surface, . 3c. 4 in, to 6 in. below surface, 3i. 6 in. to 11 in. below surface, , 3«. 11 in. to 16 in. below surface, . 3/. Win to 36 in. below surface, . 0.0341 0.0457 0.0867 0.0427 0.0400 0.0214 0.0641 0.0693 0.0746 0.0138 0.0290 0.0121 0.1540 0.1041 0.0838 0.0321 0.0126 0.0087 1.4423 1.4856 1.2000 0.4361 0.1689 0.1000 0.30 0.22 0.16 0.12 0.00 0.00 0.60 0.66 0.60 0.60 0.18 0.33 APPENDIX. 195 Series 4. From, a very Steep, Clayey Hillside near Site of Proposed Dam. Samples taken from Surface to 3 feet below surface. All Samples dried at 100° G. Loss on Ignition. (Percent.) Carbon. (Per Cent.) Nitrogen. (Per Cent.) Batio. c n ia. Surface to 2 in. below, .... 17.79 8.19 0.56 14.6 a. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, 11.04 5.85 0.38 15.4 4c. 4 in. to 6 in. below surface, 8.65 4.31 0.12 35.9 4d. 6 in. to 11 in. below surface, 4.04 1.26 0.05 25.2 ie. 11 In. to 16 in. below surface, . 2.80 0.47 0.03 15.7 4/. 3 feet below surface 1.76 0.10 0.01 10.0 Samtary Analysis of Water with which the Soils had been treated as described. [Parts per IDO.OOO].. - Free Ammonia. Free Ammonia after Standing One Week. Albumi. noid ' Ammonia. Oxygen Con- sumed. Color with Distilled Water. Effect of Soils on Color of Cochituate Water of Color 0.55. 4a. Surface to 2 in. below. 0.0622 0.3555 0.4240 7.7333 0.30 0.75 4&. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, 0.2531 0.4749 0.8032 8.0323 0.30 0.75 Ac. 4 in. to 6 in. below surface, 0.0454 0.1513 0.1968 4.2622 0.48 0.80 id. 6in. toll in. below Butface, . 0.0071 0.0267 0.0542 1.0422 0.32 0.56 4e. 11 in. to 16 in. below surface, . 0.0077 0.0154 0.0369 0.5427 0.12 0.55 if. 3 feet below surface, . 0.0138 0.0092 0.0155 0.3000 0.40 0.70 196 APPENDIX. Series 5. From Level Pasture Land near Biver, Half a Mile East of Boylston Station. Silt Formation. Samples taken from Surface to Three Feet Six Inches below Surface. All Samples dried at 100° C. Loss on Ignition. (Percent.) Carbon. (Per Cent.) Nitrogen. (Per Cent.) Ratio, c n ha. Surface to 2 In. below, .... 9.40 4.19 0.43 9.7 6S. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, 3.94 1.33 0.15 8.9 5c. 4 in. to 7 in. below surface, 3.04 1.02 0.11 9.3 5(2. 7 in. to 10 in. below surface. 2.12 0.63 0.10 6.3 5e. 10 in. to 15 in. below surface, . 2.61 0.73 0.09 8.1 6/. 36 in. to 20 in. below surface, . 0.88 0.16 0.03 5.3 5^. 3 ft. 6 in. below surface 1.09 0.21 0.02 10.5 SaniiaA/ Analysis of Water with which the Soils had been treated as described. [Parts per 100,000.] Free Ammonia. Free Ammonia after Standing One Week. Albumi- noid Ammonia. Oxygen Con- sumed. Color with Distilled Water. Effect of Soils on Color of Oochituato Water of Color 0.56. 5a. Surface to 2 in. below. 0.0349 0.2673 0.5566 2.7619 0.20 0.70 6b. 21n. to 4 in. below surface. 0.0533 0.0195 0.0636 1.6876 0.20 0.65 5c. 4 in. to 7 in. below surface. 0.0380 0.0099 0.0670 0.8444 0.20 0.7O bd. 7 in. to 10 in. below surfaci, . 0.0166 0.0325 0.0316 0.2882 0.20 0.60 5e. 10 in. to 15 in. below surface, . 0.0182 0.0117 0.0619 0.6127 0.26 0.70 6/. 15 in. to 20 in. below surface, . 0.0188 0.0041 0.0199 0.2726 0.00 0.45 ig. 3 ft. 6 in. below surface, . 0.0205 0.0533 0.0116 0.2036 0.06 0.60 APPENDIX. 197 Series 6. From Three-quarters of a Mile West of Boylston Centre on Wooded Hillside East of Muddy Brook. Samples taken from Surface to Three Feet below Surface. All Samples dried at lOCP C. Loss on Ignition. (Percent.) Carbon. (Per Cent.) Nitrogen. (Per Cent.) Ratio, c n 6a. Surface to 2 in. below 9.69 8.93 0.11 81.2 66. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, 4.31 1.30 0.04 32.5 6c. 4 in. to 7 in. below surface, 4.06 0.91 0.11 8.3 id. 7 in. to 10 in. below surface, 2.83 0.69 0.02 34.6 6«. 10 in. to 16 in. below surface, . 2.50 0.30 0.02 15.0 6/. 3 ft. below surface 1.77 0.16 0.01 18.0 Sanitary Analysis of Water with which the Soils had been treated as described. [Parts per 100,000.] Free Free Ammonia Album!- Oxygen Color Fffeot of Soils on Color of Ammonia. after Standing One Week. noid Ammonia. sumed. Distilled Water. Cocbituate Water of Color 0.55. 6a. Surface to 2 in. below, 0.0800 0.2921 0.4726 7.0009 0.60 1.00 6d. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface. 0.0392 0.0674 0.0770 1.6740 0.30 0.70 6c. 4 in. to 7 in. below surface. 0.0361 0.0323 0.0519 1.0977 0.38 0.60 6d. 7 in. to 10 in. below surface, . 0.0209 0.0116 0.0243 0.3368 0.10 0.53 6c. 10 in to 16 in. below surface, . 0.0340 0.0142 0.0288 0.6060 0.20 0.66 6/. 3 ft. below surface, . 0.0142 0.0077 0.0110 0.1478 0.00 O.IO 198 APPENDIX. Series 7. From Swamp at Head ofBoylston Millpond, about Three-quarters of a Mile above Boylston Station. Samples taken from Surface to Three Feet Three Inches below Surface. All Samples dried at 100" 0. Loss on Ignition. (Percent.) Carbon. (Percent.) Nitrogen. (Percent.) Katio. c n la. Surface to 2 In. below 22.31 12.53 0.96 13.0 76. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, 24.59 13.05 0.54 24.2 7c. 4 in. to 8 In. below surface, 17.12 8.75 0.86 10.2 Id. 8 in. to 12 in. below surface, 9.14 3.96 0.21 18.9 7«. 12 in. to 21 in. below surface, . 3.93 1.44 0.09 16.0 7/. 21 in. to 39 in. below surface, . 1.98 0.61 0.04 12.8 7ff. 39 in. below surface 0.66 0.06 0.00 " Sanitary Analysis of Water with which the Soils had been treated as described. [Parts per 100,000.] Free Ammonia. Free Ammonia after Standing One Week. Albumi- noid Ammonia. Oxygen Con- Bumed. ;Color with Distilled Water. Effect of Soils on Color of Cochltnate Water of Color 0.55. 7a. Surface to 2 in. below. 0.1360 0.4000 0.4970 6.4000 0.40 0.70 n. 2 in. to 4 in. below surface, 0.1486 0.5429 0.4486 7.4286 0.50 0.90 7c. 4 in. to 8 in. below surface, 0.1360 0.3440 0.4970 4.6000 0.12 0.55 Id. 8 in. to 12 in. below surface, . 0.0274 0.0709 0.0937 2.7429 0.50 1.00 Te. 12 in. to 21 in. below surface, . 0.0305 0.0267 0.0438 1.0857 0.80 0.70 7/. 21 in. to 39 in. below surface, . 0.0173 0.0220 0.0502 0.8471 0.10 0.55 1g. 89 In. below surface. 0.0179 0.0245 0.0080 0.1365 0.02 0.45 APPENDIX. 199 Sebies 8. From. Bottom of Oakdale Millpond from Depths of Three to Twelve Feet. Samples dried at 10(P C. All Lobs on Ignition. (Percent.) Carbon. (Percent.) Nitrogen. (Percent.) Batio. c n 8a. Near head in 3 ft. of water 0.91 0.07 0.01 7.0 8i. 1 mile below head in 5 ft. of water, 0.11 0.06 O.OO - 8c. i mile below head in T ft. of water, 10.16 4.10 0.36 11.4 8^. 1 mile from head in 9 feet of water, . 10.45 4.17 0.35 11.9 8«. 500 ft. above W. & N. R.E. in 12 ft of water, 14.75 6.56 0.53 12.4 8/. 600 ft. below W. & N. B.R. in 12 ft. of water, . 4.72 2.18 0.15 14.5 Sanitary Analysis of Water with which the Soils had been treated as described. [Parts per 100,000.] Tree Ammonia. Free Ammonia after Standing OneWeek. Albnmi- noid Ammonia. Oxygen Con- sumed. Color with ISistiUed Water. Effect of Soils on Color of Cochituate Water of Color 0.55. 8o. Near head in 3 ft. of water, . 0.0186 0.0121 0.0251 0.2224 0.01 0.55 86. J mile below head in 5 ft. of 0.0162 0.0027 0.0144 0.1854 0.00 0.60 80. i mile "below head In 7 ft. of water. 8. ■s % ■d -d . 6. « <>»'"• Excess of chlorine. 0.11. Odor, generally vegetable, rarely mouldy or unpleasant, becoming somewhat stronger on heating. APPENDIX. 207 Lynn Water Supply. Chemical Examination of Water from Birch Pond, Lynn. [Parts per 100,000.] Appearance. Residue on Evapora- tion. Ammonia. Nitrogen AS 1 jj Albuminoid. MONTH. •5 1 1 1 3 a S" s5 s t 1 o s a 1 1 1 -2 S 6 c 1 H CO o -1 t< R X o '& la o to January, . Distinct. Slight. 0.58 6.05 1.93 .0063 .0.370 .0226 .0146 .64 .0085 .0001 .5427 1.4 February, . Slight. Slight. 0.64 4.50 1.70 .0207 .0295 .0229 .0066 .60 .0110 .0003 .6716 1.5 March, . Slight. Slight. 0.66 4.65 1.90 .0171 .0237 .0218 .0019 .63 .0070 .0001 .6064 1.4 April, Distinct. Cons. 0.62 3.65 1.13 .0017 .0279 .0213 .0066 .49 .0040 .0002 .4726 0.7 May, . Blight. Cons. 0.41 8.00 1.15 .0007 .0228 .0175 .0063 .42 .0015 .0001 .5321 0.7 June, Distinct. Cons. fl.60 3.95 1.53 .0016 .0230 .0192 .0038 ..M .0016 .0001 .6042 0.7 •July, . Distinct. Slight. 0.48 4.00 1.80 .0008 .0291 .0214 .0077 .50 .OOOC .0000 .6018 1.1 August, . Slight. Slight. 0.65 3.83 1.68 .0017 .0244 .0212 .0032 .51 .0000 .0000 .4769 0.8 September, Distinct. Cons. 0.70 . i 3 ■c .23 1 t 1 January, . V. slight. V. slight. 0.30 3.20 0.85 .0006 .0142 .012!! .0020 .0100 .0002 February, . V. Blight. Cods. 0.50 4.43 1.53 .0040 .0279 .0209 .0070 .24 .0140 .0001 _ _ March, V. slight. V. slight. 0.40 3.73 1.25 .0030 .0282 .0190 .0042 .23 .0076 .0002 April, . Slight. Slight. 0.65 3.43 1.40 .0011 .0319 .0297 .0022 .19 .0076 .0002 _ _ May, . Slight. Slight. 1.20 4.60 1.90 .0019 .0300 .0279 .0021 .17 .0065 .0001 l.ff. June, Slight. Slight. 0.80 4.84 1.84 .0025 .0216 .0216 .0000 .20 .0115 .0003 July, . Slight. V. Blight. 0.60 4.69 1.31 .0038 .0836 .0214 .0021 ,23 .0076 .0002 _ August, . Slight. Slight. 0.60 5.03 1.29 .0057 .0269 .0210 .0049 .28 .0060 .0002 _ September, Slight. Slight. 0.65 4.93 1.70 .003(1 .09,73 .0229 .0044 ,?S .0066 .0001 _ „ Slight. Blight. O.OK 4.88 1.63 .ooie .026' ,0266 .0011 28 .0000 .0002 _ November, December, Slight. Blight. 0.75 4.88 1.33 .0009 .0826 .0203 .0022 .26 .0076 .0000 _ Slight. Slight. 0.68 4.13 1.33 .0029 .0028 .0180 .0245 .0151 .0215 .0038 .0030 .26 .24 .0080 .0084 .0002 .0002 - - Average, 0.65 4.39 1.44 - ^ This table is based upon analyses made monthly, from June, 1887, to May, 1889, InoUisive. The samples were collected from the river, at Wood's Mill Pond, about one mile below the village of North- borough. Excess of chlorine, 0.07, Odor, faintly vegetable. APPENDIX. 209 AssAWOMPSEiT Pond. Chemical Examination of Water from Assawompsett Pond, LakevUle. [Parts per 100,000.] Appeaeance. Residue on Evapora- A3IM0NIA. Nitrogen ■g tion. g c Aibuuiinoid. s i -a i i ?. 3 1 o .1 1 i 3 d i 1 a H & o EH >A f» H Q 03 o !? o M January, . Slight. Sl't, white. 0.20 3.55 1.30 .0002 .0268 .46 .0050 .0000 . March, . Blight. Slight. ,).63 3.10 1.25 .0000 .0174 .0128 .0046 .48 .0040 .0000 .6460 0.6 May, . . Slight. Slight. ).5(J 3.95 1.30 .0000 .0175 .0140 .0035 .44 .0020 .0001 .5665 0.8. June, Slight. Slight. 0.52 3.59 1.76 .0002 .0168 .013B .0029 .47 .0017 .OOOC .5392 0.4 July,. . V. Blight. V. slight. 0.30 3.40 1.40 .OOOC .0126 .0112 .0014 .53 .OOUU .0000 .4273 0.8 August, . Slight. Slight. 0.20 3.80 1.70 .OOOC .0146 .0132 .0014 .51 .0030 .0000 .3642 O.B September, Slight. Slight. 0.14 3.16 1.08 .0001 .0170 .0138 .0032 .53 .0025 .0000 .3752 O.b October, . Slight. Sl't, white. 0.16 3.25 1.20 .OOOC .0168 .out .0022 .58 .0030 .0000 .3041 0.8 November, Slight. Slight. 0.25 2.95 1.10 .OOOf .0164 .0132 .0032 .61 .0830 .0000 .3936 U.6 December, Slight. Slight. 0.06 2.72 1.02 .0002 .0161 .0125 .0036 .49 .50 .0027 .0027 .0000 .0000 .3590 0.4 ATcrage, 0.2S 3.35 1.31 .0002 .0162* .0133 .0030 .4293 fl,B This table is based upon analyses of seventeen samples, collected in the years 1887, 1888, 1891, 1893 and 1894. The samples were collected from the pond, at various points. Excess of chlorine, 0.06. Odor, generally faintly vegetable, occasionally mouldy, sometimes none. *" January omitted in making the average. Chakles Eivek. Chemical Examination of Water from the Charles River at South Natick. [Parts per 100,000.] Appeahance. Residue on Evapora- tion. Ammonia. i 1 Nitrogen AS a -3 c CO 1 1 Albuminoid. | 1 S MONTH. i §1 5 3 i > 1 CO i January, . February, . March, . April, . May, . June, July, . . August, . September, October, . November, December, V. Blight. Blight. Slight. V. slight. Slight. V. slight. V. slight. V. slight. Slight. V. slight. Slight. V. slight. V. slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. V. slight. V. slight. Slight. V. slight. Slight. V. slight. 0.75 0.68 0.67 0.92 1.23 1.5S 0.66 0.78 0.63 0.81 0.95 0.76 4.27 4.39 4.16 3.82 4.38 4.91 4.28 5.04 5.26 6.24 5.45 4.86 1.67 1.41 1.62 1.73 1.93 2.23 1.76 1.78 1.80 1.84 2.26 1.88 .0006 .0017 .0004 .0007 .0019 .0024 .0008 .0007 .0007 .0006 .0006 .0010 .0186 .0213 .0223 .0249 .0309 .0365 .0262 .0226 .0278 .0235 .0262 .0198 .0167 .0194 .0194 .0224 .0278 .0326 .0233 .0199 ..0269 1.0196 .0228 .0176 .0019 .0019 .0029 .0026 .0031 .0040 .0029 .0027 .0019 .0040 .0034 .0022 .0028 .33 .33 .32 .30 .34 .27 .34 .41 .44 .49 .63 .39 .37 .0107 .0118 .0140 .0037 .0033 .0037 .0024 .0043 .0033 .0058 .0068 .0110 .0067 .0002 .0002 .0001 .0002 .0001 .0001 .0002 .0000 .0001 .«000 .0001 .0001 .0001 .7450 .7640 .7984 .9376 .7426 1.2074 .7084 .6834 .6424 .4899 .9633 .8932 1.4 1.3 1.3 0.9 1.3 1.3 1.8 1.1 1.6 1.5 1.8 1.1 Average, 0.86 4.67 1.82 .0010 .02511.0223 .7806 1.4 1 This table Is based upon analyses made monthly, from June, 1887, to May, 1889, inclusive, two analyses made in July, 1890, and analyses made monthly from August, 1893, to November, 1894, inclu- sive. The samples were collected from the river, just above the dam at South Natick. Excess of chlorine, 0.16. Odor, generally distinctly vegetable, frequently mouldy, rarely disagreeable. 210 APPENDIX. Deeefield Eivek. Chemical Examinatimi of Water from the Deerfleld River at Shelburne Falls. [Parts per 100,000.] Appeabahce. Residue on EVAPOKA- TION. Ammonia. NlTKOGEN AS 1 s >. s % Albuminoid. MONTH. ■? •6 M s 8 3 1 1 1 1 8 S 1 g o 1 January, . None. V. slight. 0.1,^ 3.35 0.95 .0000 .0058 .0046 .0012 .08 .0150 .0000 .2270 1.4 March, . Distinct. Slight. 0.1C 3.50 1.00 .0000 .0074 .0062 .0012 .11 .0090 .0000 .2520 1.« May, . Sliglit. Slight. 0.4E 3.25 1.45 .0006 .0154 .0140 .0014 .11 .0000 .0000 .6453 1.7 June, None. V. slight. 0.4.'i 4.05 1.26 .0000 .0142 .0126 .0016 .13 .U03U .0000 .4173 l.T July, .\ V. slight. Slight. 0.30 3.60 0.65 .0006 .0132 .0118 .0014 .16 .0000 .0000 .3480 2.0 August, . V. slight. Slight. 0.50 3.70 0.95 .0004 .0168 .0142 .0016 .13 .0000 .0000 .4697 1.4 September, Blight. Slight. 0.66 3.78 1.40 .0006 .0116 .0103 .OOl.S .14 .0026 .0000 .6618 1.8 October, . None. V. slight. 0.50 3.20 9.36 .0000 .0112 .0090 .0022 .10 .0000 .0000 .6913 1.6 November, V. Blight. Slight. 0.65 3.40 1.20 .0000 .0108 .0084 .0024 .11 .0030 .0000 .6583 1.4 December, Distinct. Heavy. 0.35 2.90 1.50 .0006 .0180 .0116 .0064 .06 .11 .0100 .0042 .0001 .5796 0.5 Average, 0.40 3.47 1.17 .0003 .0123 .0103 .0020 .0000 .4650 1.6 This table is based upon analyses of eleven samples, collected from September, 1893, to November, 1894, inclusive. The samples were collected from the river, about a mile above the bridge in the village of Shelburne Falls. Excess of chlorine, 0.03. Odor, faintly vegetable or none, becoming somewhat stronger on heating. Ipswich River. Chemical Examination of Water from the Ipswich River, near Eoive^s Station, between Danvers and Middleton. [Parts per 100,000.] ^^ Appearance, Evapora- tion. Ammonia. NiTKOGEN AS MONTHS. g Albuminoid. d g 1 §> ° To r £ 1 5 s p. GO « 1 1 B i3 s 1S92. January, February, . March, April, . . May, . , June, , July, . , . August, September, , October, November, , December, . V. Blight. Slight. 1.20 6.55 3.10 .noon .0194 .0180 .0014 .49 .0100 .0001 lA V. slight. Slight. 1.00 6.35 2.35 .0006 .0204 .msn .0024 .51 .0120 .0001 1.7 V. Blight. V. slight. 1.20 5.90 2.00 .noon .0226 .ni76 .0050 as .0070 .0000 1.1 V. slight. V. slight. 1.10 4.60 2.20 .0000 .0248 .n236 .0012 .39 .0070 .0000 1.3 Slight. Blight. 1.80 4.85 1.85 .0028 .0370 .n342 .0028 .34 .0100 .0000 1.3 Slight. 1.60 6.20 2.65 .0006 .0278 .nras .0026 43 .0000 .0000 1 3 V. slight. V. Blight. 1.7U 5.90 3.10 .0006 .0334 .mm .0042 40 .0000 .0000 1 6 V. slight. V. slight. V. slight. Slight, 0.65 1.40 4.76 7.66 1.55 2.95 .0022 .onnn .0190 .037n .0162 .n?fln .0028 .0080 .67 .68 .0090 .0100 .0000 .0000 2.0 1.9 Slight. 0.90 6.76 2.50 .0006 .0262 .0230 .0032 .67 .0090 .0001 2.1 V. slight. 2.60 8.10 4.65 .nnno .n44n .DXH\ .0070 .48 .0070 .onoi ? n V. slight. l.UO 7.06 3.60 .noi2 .0008 .n326 .0287 .0290 .0260 .0036 .0037 .43 .47 .0180 .0082 .0001 .0000 2.6 Average, . 1.36 6.20 2.69 ■i.'l rlvJ''?!.f°v'^?' ^""^ ""''* monthly during the year 1892. The samples were collected from the' .wllii^ rarermoul"™'' ^°''*'° "'*'""'' ^^"^^^ "' chlorine, 0.18. Odor, vegetable and grassy, orJ APPENDIX. 211 Merrimack River. Chemical Examination of Water from the Merrimack River above Lowell, opposite the Intake of the Lowell Water Works. [Parts per 100,000.] Residue on Appeabakce. Evapora- Ammonia. XlIEOGEN 3 tion. 9 s Albuminoid. >, ■u •a •6 -a o IS 1 1 a t §1 6 n o c 1 1 1 c a ■2 CD O H ►J t. H a KJ o |2i |2i o a January, . V. slight. Slight. 0.36 3.60 1.20 .0037 .0131 .0108 .0023 .21 .0075 .0001 .4363 1.3 February, , Slight. Slight. o.a9 3.63 1.40 .0023 .0173 .0137 .0036 .15 .0105 .0001 .4650 l.S March, . Slight. Cons. U.4S 3.10 1.13 .0016 .0159 .0128 .0031 .16 .0150 .0000 .5163 0.7 April, Slight. Cons. 0.412 2.63 0.95 .0007 .0136 .0107 .0028 .15 .0040 .0001 .4397 0.7 May, . Distinct. Cons. 0.50 3.18 1.18 .0030 .0121 .0097 .0024 .12 .0070 .0002 .4997 0.9 June, Slight. Slight. 0.32 3.18 1.13 .0024 .0154 .0103 .0051 .16 .00.50 .0001 .3842 1.1 July, . Slight. Slight. 0.20 4.60 1.28 .0030 .0147 .0119 .0028 .22 .0060 .0003 .3103 1.1 August, . Blight. Slight. 0.19 3.45 1.10 .0018 .OICO .0096 .0034 .20 .0040 .0002 .2931 1.1 fieptember. Slight. Slight. 0.29 3.58 1.16 .0049 .0142 .0124 .0018 .19 .0065 .0001 .3426 1.2 October, . Blight. Slight. 0.25 3.43 1.38 .0046 .0126 .0103 .0023 .18 .0055 .0000 .3776 1.4 November, Slight. Slight. o.aii 3.85 1.30 .0033 .0133 .0107 .0026 .18 .0150 .0000 ..5124 1.7 December, Slight. Slight. 0.43 3.50 1.43 .0033 .0029 .0158 .0142 .0144 .0114 .0014 .0028 .18 .18 .0096 .0078 .0001 .0001 .5648 1.4 Average, 0.34 3.47 1.22 .4283 1.2 The amount of polluting matter turned into this river is iDcreaeing from year to year, and, in order to show the character of the water at a recent period, the average of analyees for the two years from November, 1892, to October, 1894, inclusive, is used, instead of the average of all of the analyses that liave been made. The samples were collected from the river, about one foot beneath the surface. Excess of chlorine, O.OS. Odor, distinctly vegetable and musty, becoming somewhat stronger on heating. Chemical Exarmnation of Water from the Merrimack River above Lawrence opposite the Intake of the Lawrence Water Works. [Parts per 100,000.] Appearance. Residue on Evapora- tion. Ajimonia. 1 Nitrogen as -a 1 3 1 .1 CQ 1 1 o Si 6 Albuminoid. 1 Izi i MONTH. 3 o H 1 o 5 1 c s p. 03 W January, . February, . March, . April, Ifay, . . June, July, . August, . September, October, . November, December, Blight. Blight. Distinct. Slight. Distinct. Distinct. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. Distinct. Blight. Slight. Slight. Cons. Slight. Cons. Cons. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. Cons. Slight. 0.33 0.38 0.60 0.44 0.62 0.41 0.21 0.23 0.28 0.62 0.48 0.44 4.18 3.85 2.93 3.26 3.06 3.73 3.60 4.06 4.08 4.63 4.10 4.03 1.68 1.50 1.10 1.30 1.13 1.33 1.33 1.48 1.53 1.88 1.40 1.43 .0058 .0038 .0030 .0014 .0027 .0079 .0103 .0102 .0098 .0087 .0025 .0030 .0157 .0193 .0204 .0167 .0163 .0187 .0184 .0171 .0163 .0176 .0159 .0191 .0135 .0168 .0155 .0116 .0140 .0157 .0146 .0126 .0134 .0144 .0135 .0165 .0142 .0022 .0035 .0049 .0042 .0023 .0030 .0038 .0045 .0029 .0031 .0024 .0036 .0033 .26 .22 .14 .15 .16 .19 .26 .29 .24 .23 .21 .20 .21 .0080 .0135 .0095 .0060 .0116 .0040 .0036 .0046 .0060 .0036 .0120 .0126 .0078 .0003 .0001 .0001 .0001 .0002 .0002 .0003 .0002 .0001 .0003 .0003 .0002 .0002 .4973 .4796 .6588 .4733 .5132 .4616 .3874 .3648 .3340 .6669 .5589 .5994 1.3 1.3 0.7 0.7 1.9 1.2 1.4 1.1 1.8 1.4 l.T 1.1 Average, 0.41 3.78' 1.42 .0058 .0176 .4920 l.il The amount of polluting matter turned into this river is increasing from year to year, and, in order to Bhow the character of the water at a recent period, the average of analyses for the two years from November, 1892, to October, 1894, inclusive, is used, instead of the average of all of the analyses that have been made. The samples were collected from the river, opposite the intake ol the Lawrence Water Works, about one foot beneath the surface. Excess of chlorine, 0.08. Odor, distinctly vegetable and musty. 212 APPENDIX. Nashua Rivek. Chemical Examination of Water from the South Branch of the Nashua River at Clinton. [Parts per 100,000.] Appearance. Hesiduh on Evapora- tion. Ammonia. Nitrogen AS 13 1 s e 5 ^ 1 Albuminoid. MONTH. -d u !2 1 i 3 £ 1 J c 1 1 s 1 a H K ■ u H »j ^ H fl CO .18 iz; |2i a January, . Slight. Slight. 0.32 3.60 1.12 .0014 .0177 .0147 .003o' .0113 .0001 .5499 o.» February, . Slight. Slight. 0.33 3.43 0.98 .0U12 .0143 .0120 .0023, .23 .0097 .0001 .4029 1.3 March, Slight. Blight. 0.27 3.63 0.82 .0009 .0127 .0096 .0032 .19 .0090 .0001 .6080 0.6 April, Blight. Slight. 0.32 2.80 0.93 .0002 .0132 .0110 .0022, .17 .0060 .0001 .4336 0.6 May, . . Slight. Slight. o.au 3.30 1.28 .0000 .0176 .0131 .0044 .16 .0043 .0001 .5440 0.9 June, V. Blight. Blight. 0.42 3.89 0.97 .0021 .0156 .0116 .0039 .18 .0063 .0001 .6622 O.S July, . . Slight. Slight. 0.62 3.89 1.27 .0014 .0227 .0179 .0048 .20 .0060 .0001 .3634 0.» August, . Slight. Slight. 0.43 3.73 1.13 .0011 .0181 .0147 .0034 .24 .0043 .0001 .3378 1.0 Bepteortaer, V. slight. Slight. 29 4.08 1.30 .0016 .0171 .0128 .0043 .26 .0046 .0001 .2873 1.6 October, . Slight. Slight. 0.36 3.98 1.34 .0009 .0209 .0148 .0061 .26 .0157 .0001 .2321 1.5 November, Blight. Slight. 0.64 4.15 1.63 .0007 .0165 .0122 .0033 .30 .0078 .0002 .6019 1.7 December, Slight. Slight. 0.38 3.52 1.16 .0006 .0011 .0163 .0168 .0143 .0132 .0020 .0036 .21 .21 .0060 .0066 .0001 .6474 0.9 Average, 0.40 3.65 1.16 .0001 .4669 1.1 This table is based upon analyses made monthly, from June, 1887, to May, 1889, inclueive, two analyses made in October, 1891, and analyses made monthly from August, 1893, to November, 1894, inclusive. The samples were collected from the river, above the dam of the Lancaster Mills Company. Excess of chlotine, 0.07. Odor, vegetable, occasionally mouldy. QuiNEPOXET River. Chemical Examination of Water from the Quinepoxet River, a tributary of the Nashua River, in Holden, [Parts per 100,000.] Appearance. Kesidue on Evapora- tion. Ammonia. .20 .21 .17 .21 .17 .18 .28 .26 .28 .27 .36 .24 .24 Nitrogen AS i a 1 MONTH. H 1 i i E-i i a Albuminoid. 1 iS i 1 it January, . February, . March, . April, . May, . . June, July, . August, . September, October, . November, December, Blight. Decided. Distinct. Blight. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. V. slight. Blight. V. slight. Blight. Slight. Cons. Cons. Cons. Cons. Blight. Blight. Cons. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. 0.65 0.47 0.62 0.48 0.70 0.63 0.60 0.64 0.63 0.48 0.66 0.86 0.60 3.48 3.23 3.03 2.68 3.20 3.83 4.05 3.78 4.02 3.97 4.80 3.95 1.18 1.00 1.30 1.23 1.68 1.63 1.63 1.82 1.62 1.38 1.86 1.73 .0003 .0006 .0003 .0000 .0000 .0023 .0136 .0043 .0014 .0041 .0016 .0002 .00^4 .0131 .0118 .0143 .0165 .0209 .0238 .0229 .0217 .0247 .0207 .0266 .0193 .0197 .0116 .0094 .0104 .0116 .0182 .0196 .0176 .0183 .0208 .0167 0218 .0160 .0169 .0016 .0024 .0044 .0049 .0027 .0043 .0063 .0034 .0039 .0060 .0047 .0033 .0090 .0110 .0076 .0040 .0016 .0025 .0026 .0067 .0068 .0063 .0033 .0080 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0001 .0001 .0001 .0001 .0001 .0002 .0001 .0002 .0000 .0001 .6809 .6293 .6024 .4658 .7280 .6391 .6844 .5124 .4184 .4037 .9147 .8229 0.5 0.9 0.5 0.7 0.4 0.7 1.0 1.4 o.» 0.8 1.0 0.9 3.66 1.48 .0038 .0056 .6084 O.S NnvT^i!.i^l>ol'.''*?°*."P°°n?,'"''y^^^ made monthly, during the year 1892, and from August, 1893, to m,^I ^„ ' .1 .'.'""'v^l'^'- ^i"* samples were collected from the river, at a highway bridge, about one fentw vA^J^wi .^.^f ''^™,?""'"°8 "^^ '^^^ Boylston. Excess of chlorine, 0.11. Odir generally ftequLtfl mouldy """''^y '"' "npleasant; on heating, the odor becomes somewhat stronger and APPENDIX. 215 Stillwater Rivee. Chemical Examination of Water from the Stillwater River, a tributary of the Nashua River in Sterling. [Parts per 100,000.] RESIDtlE ON —^ Appearance. Evapora- Ammonia. NiTKOSEN ■s tion. s c Albuminoid. ^ .i s •a . D n 1 S -3 o g 5 5 ^ n > 1 o ■3 , a c 1 S a s s H ij ^ H P 02 o !zi o « January, . None. V. slight. 0.52 3.00 1.08 .0003 .0094 .0082 .0012 .17 .0055 .0000 .5288 0.7 February, . V. slight. V. Blight. U.iib 3.23 1.00 .0002 .0087 .0072 .0015 .17 .0075 .0000 .4226 0.8 March, . V. slight. V. slight. O.i-i 2.88 0.90 .0000 .0103 .0078 .0025 .13 .0090 .0000 .4320 0.7 April, V. slight. Cons. U.iJd 2.80 1.13 .0005 .0108 .0096 .0012 .14 .0040 .0000 .3873 n.« ilay, . V. slight. Blight. 0.68 3.20 1.33 .0008 .0180 .0136 .0044 .12 .0010 .0000 .6120 0.5 Jane, Slight. Slight. U.48 3.35 1.38 .0005 .0163 .0130 .0033 .14 .0025 .oooc .4620 1.0 Jnly, . . V. Blight. Blight. 0.43 3.30 1.08 .0013 .0146 .oisa .0008 .14 .0025 .oooc .6621 1.3 Angnst, . V. slight. Blight 0.41 3.35 1.25 .0003 .OI.W .0130 .0027 .14 .0033 .oooc .3712 0.9 Bisptember, V. slight. Slight. 0.4» 3.63 1.33 .0004 .0139 .0121 .0018 .12 .0043 .0001 .3764 0.8 October, . V. slight. Blight. 0.23 S.26 1.02 .0005 .0140 .0121 .0019 .17 .0043 .0000 .2830 O.S ITovember, V. slight. Slight. 0.77 4.18 1.53 .0013 .0203 .0173 .0030 .25 .0033 .0001 .6942 1.1 December, V. slight. V. slight. U.54 3.30 1.35 .0000 .0005 .0117 .0101 .0115 .0016 .0022 .16 .15 .0035 .0001 .6357 0.7 Average, 0.47 3.29 1.20 .0137 .0042 .0000 .4723 This table is based upon analyses made monthly, during the year 1892, and from August, 1893, to November, 1894, inclusive. The samples were collected from the river, at a highway bridge, about one mile above the line between Sterling and West Boylston. Excess of chlorine, 0.01. Odor, vegetable, occasionally mouldy, sometimes none. Shawsheen River. Chemical .Examination of Water from the Shawsheen River at Wilmington. [Parts per 100,000.] Appearance. Kesidue on Evapora- tion. Ammonia. J Nitrogen AS 1 a 1 1 o O 1 i 1 1 Albuminoid. 1 1 E MONTH. 3 1 s CO i January, . February, . March, . X\: : June, July,. . .Angnst, . September, October, . November, December, None. V. Blight. Slight. V. slight. Slight V. slight. V. Blight, v. Blight. V. slight. V. slight. V. slight. Slight. v. slight. Slight. V. Blight. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. V. Blight. V. slight. Blight. Slight. Blight. 0.40 0.65 0.85 1.00 1.57 1.17 0.72 1.03 0.35 0.98 1.18 0.85 4.48 4.75 4.33 4.20 5.47 5.19 4.98 6.75 5.58 5.52 6.80 4.60 1.25 1.60 1.50 1.68 2.33 1.84 1.38 2.07 2.00 1.90 2.69 1.50 .0016 .0022 .0015 .0001 .0049 .0018 .0019 .0008 .0008 .0005 .0012 .0003 .0146 .0234 .0228 .0268 .0299 .0295 .0259 .0304 .0176 .0236 .0325 .0213 .0128 .0208 .0205 .0230 .0272 .0268 .0202 .0292 .0162 .0219 .0283 .0162 .0219 .0018 .0026 .0023 .0038 .0027 .0027 .0057 .0012 .0014 .0016 .0042 .0051 .0030 .31 .36 .43 .36 .28 .32 .34 .36 .39 .43 .47 .27 .36 .0205 .0225 .0075 .0070 .0067 .0053 .0007 .0027 .0017 .0023 .0038 .0150 .0002 .0002 .0002 .0002 .0001 .0001 .0000 .0001 .0001 .0001 .0001 .0002 .7738 1.6170 .4420 .4350 .2002 .2251 .9476 .8123 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.7 ■li'7 2.2 2.2 Average, 0.89 5.14 1.80 .0015!. 0249 .0080 .0001 .6816 ■l.fl This table 1b based npon analyses made monthly, from June, 1887, to May, 1889, Inclusive, one analysis made in November, 1893, and analyses made monthly, from May to November, inclusive, 1894. The samples were collected from the river at the point where it is crossed by the old Middlesex canals between the towns of Wilmington and Billerica. Excess of chlorine, 0.11. Odor, generally faintly veg- etable, rarely mouldy; on heating, the odor is generally somewhat stronger. 214 APPENDIX. Swift River. Chemical Examination of Water from the East Branch of the Swift River in Greenwich . [Parts per 100,000.] Appearance. RiisiDUii: UN Evapora- tion. Ammonia. NiTBOQES AS » a 6 1 1 1 3 1 Albuminoid. i? 1 121 MONTH. 3 1 £ S 1894. April, October, . V. slight. V. slight. Cons. Slight. 0.58 0.35 2.55 3.65 1.20 1.00 .0022 .0000 .0172 .0120 .0146 .0136 .0098 .0117 .0036 .0022 .0029 .14 .15 .15 .0000 .0030 .0000 .0000 .5643 .3773 0.3 1.3 Average, 0.47 3.10 1.10 .0011 .0015 .0000 .4711 8 The samples were collected from the east branch of the Swift River, just above its confluence with the middle branch. Excess of chlorine, 0.05. Odor, faintly vegetable. Chemical Examination of Water from the Middle Branch of the Swift River in Greenwich. [Parts per 100,000.] Appearancis. KE.-ilDUE ON Evapora- tion. Ammonia. 1 KITROGEN AS 1? 1 0) CO 5 I = a r i Albuminoid. 1 i izi MONTH. 1 1 O Q % 1 ^ a; n 1 1S94. April, October, . V. slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. 0.43 0.32 2.65 3.65 1.10 0.95 .0024 .0000 .0124 .0106 .0106 .0088 .0018 .0018 .14 .11 .13 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .4424 .3349 0.5 1.3 Average, 0.38 3.15 1.03 .0012 .0115 .0097 .0018 .0000 .3887 0.9 The samples were collected from the middle branch of the Swift River, just above its confluence with the east branch. Excess of chlorine, 0.03. Odor, faintly vegetable. APPENDIX. 215 Chemical Examination of Water from, the West Branch of the Swift River in Enfield. [Parts per 100,000.] Appearance. Residue on Evapora- tion. Ammonia. a Nitrogen AS i o c .3065 1 ■J a 1 CO o 3 a o 1 & Albuminoid. 1 1 E ii5 MONTH. 1 1 -a 1 1894. April, V. alight. Slight. 0.20 1.85 0.70 .0026 .0108 .0100 .0008 .16 .0000 .0000 0.2 December, Slight. Heavy, gray. 0.23 3.10 1.05 .0008 .0108 .0064 .0044 .12 .14 .0070 .0000 .0000 .2772 0.8. Average, 0.22 2.48 0.83 .0017 .0108 .0082 .0026 .0035 .2919 O.S The samples were collected from the west branch of the Swift River at a road crossing the river about half a mile above its confluence with the main stream. Excess of chlorine, 0.04. Odor, very faintly vegetable. Ware River. Chemical Examination of Water from Ware River, at Cold Brook Station, Barren. [Parts per 100,000.] Appearance. Residue on Evapora- tion. Ammonia. 1 O .17 .18 .14 .18 .13 .08 .10 .12 .14 .15 .19 .17 .14 Nitrogen AS 1 -a • 1 03 i 5 1 S it r 1 Albuminoid. 1 E E MONTH. .0166 .0116 .0166 .0132 .0184 .0246 .0190 .0203 .0222 .0170 .0180 .0152 .0177 o > s s S Pi 33- 1 January, . Pebruaiw,. March, . ^a^l''. : June, July,. August, . September, October, . November, December, Slight. Slight. V. slight. V. slight. Slight. Slight. V. slight. Slight. Slight. SUght. V. slight. V. Blight. Sligbt. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. Slight. Sligbt. Slight. Sligbt. Slight. Slight. 0.73 0.60 0.75 0.70 0.95 1.30 0.85 0.70 0.63 0.45 0.73 0.65 3.90 3.50 3.55 2.90 2.90 3.70 3.60 3.30 3.25 3.15 3.88 3.70 1.55 1.50 1.25 1.30 1.78 1.70 1.46 1.63 1.25 1.05 1.67 1.35 .0004 .0016 .0006 .0004 .0000 .0010 .0008 .0000 .0006 .0000 .0005 .0000 .0148 .0096 .0122 .0112 .0168 .0226 .0172 .0176 .0164 .0152 .0148 .0126 .0161 .0018 .0020 .0044 .0020 .0016 .0020 .0018 .0027 .0068 .0018 .0032 .0026 .0026 .0030 .0070 .0030 .0030 .0000 .0060 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0018 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0001 .0000 .0000 .0000 .0000 .7215 .6783 .6760 .6605 .8620 .9471 .5644 .5938 .4004 .4180 .7899 .6513 0.6 O.g 0.8 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.8 1.0 0.9 0.6 l.O 0.9 Average, 0.75 3.44 1.46 .0005 .6463 0.7 This table is based upon analyses of fifteen samples collected from August, 1893, to November, 1894, inclusive. The samples were collected from the river, at the railroad bridge near Cold Brook station, in the southeasterly part of the town of Barre. Excess of chlorije, 0.03. Odor, generally distinctly veg- etable, rarely mouldy or unpleasant. 216 APPENDIX. Lake Winnipiseogee, New Hampshiee. Chemical Examination of Water from Lake Winnipiseogee, N. H. [Parts per 100,000.] Appearance. Eesidde on EVAPOHA- TIOH. Ammohia. , Nitrogen AS ^ i «i fe ^ Albuminoid. CO 1 1 MONTH. i *« S i A i E-c CO o EH ^ H p CO ^ s •-A o w V. slight. V. Blight. 0.03 1.98 0.53 .0001 .0074 .0058 .0016 .11 .0045 .0000 V. slight. V. Blight. 0.00 2.15 0.63 .0006 .0003 .0083 .0010 .12 .0055 .ooot ~ - V. Blight. V. Blight. 0.02 2.03 0.68 .0016 .0108 .0097 .0011 .12 .0055 .0001 April, Slight. Slight. 0.00 2.03 0.6S .0000 .0096 .0083 .0013 .12 .0040 .oooc . May, . V. alight V. Blight. 0.0-2 2.10 0.68 .0000 .0088 .0076 .0013 .11 ■0016 .oooc 1.S June, Slight. Slight. O.OO 2.34 0.77 .0001 .0083 .0079 .0013 .13 .0040 .oooc _ July, . None. None. O.OO 2.10 0.55 .0001 .0091 .0077 .0014 .12 .0010 .oooc V. slight. V. slight. 0.00 2.26 0.61 .0006 .0088 .0072 .0016 .13. .0025 .oooc _ _ September, V. slight. V. Blight. 0.00 2.19 0.63 .0000 .0092 .0076 .0017 .13 .0065 .oooc . October, , V. slight. V. slight. o.oa 2.05 0.53 .0000 .0099 .0095 .0004 .09 .0030 .ooot - . November, Slight. Slight. 0.00 1.98 0.63 .0000 .0093 .0087 .0006 .10 .0046 .oooc . December, V. slight. Slight. 0.00 1.88 0.40 .0000 .0002 .0108 .0093 .0077 .0079 .0029 .0014 .12 .12 .0036 .0000 .0000 - - Average, 0.01 2.09 0.57 .0038 - This table is based upon analyses made monthly, from June, 18S7, to Juno, 1889, inclusive. The samplea were collected at the Lake Company's dam at Lakepovti K. H. Excess of chlorine, 0.02. Odor, generally none, rarely vegetable. APPENDIX. 217 Appeistdix No. 6, WATEE SUPPLY OF DIFFERENT QUALITIES FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES. By Dexter Beackett, C.E. At times during a number of years the water from the Sudbury River and Lake Cochituate has been subject to offensive tastes and odors, and at all times it has more or less color, which renders it somewhat objectionable for table use. For this reason a large quantity of spring water has been sold in Boston, showing that many people are willing to pay an increased price for drinking water which is pure, colorless and palatable. Surface water supplies where the water is received from a swampy ter- ritory, or where it is stored in artificial reservoirs from which the soil has not been removed, generally furnish a water of high color that is subject to tastes and odors which may not be detrimental to health, but are certainly objectionable to the senses. The water from springs or wells is, on the other hand, in almost all cases colorless and free from objectionable tastes and odors ; the tempera- ture of the water is lower in summer than that of the surface waters ; and when obtained from a source which is not contaminated by sewage, a sup- ply of ground water is much preferable to a supply from a river or pond. Taking into consideration the great expense of removing all the soil from storage reservoirs or of constructing works for the filtration of the entire supply of the metropolitan district, the question naturally arises as to the practicability of some division of the supply, either by supplying a spring or ground water for drinking and cooking purposes, or by furnishing an inferior water which would not be suitable for drinking or cooking, but which would be suitable for mechanical, manufacturing and other uses. The question will then be considered under these two heads : — First. — A supply of spring or ground water for drinking and culinary purposes. Second. — A supply of water of inferior quality, not suitable for drink- ing or cooking, for mechanical, manufacturing and other purposes. 218 APPENDIX. A SnppLT OF Spking or Ground Water for Drinking and Culinary Purposes. The cities of Newton and Waltham and the town of Brookline now have supplies of ground water of excellent quality, which are obtained from the gravelly soil in the valley of the Charles River. Some other towns in the metropolitan district now have supplies of ground water, but the quality of water is inferior to that furnished by the three places just mentioned. By combining and developing the supplies of Newton, "Waltham and Brookline, a daily supply of at least 12,000,000 gallons of excellent water can probably be obtained ; but it is evident that this quantity would be but a very small proportion of the total amount required for the metropolitan district for all purposes, and that, in order to utilize these works to supply water for drinking and cooking purposes to the whole district, a separate system of works would be required. The quantity of water actually required for drinking and culinary pur- poses is probably not more than three gallons daily per person ; and if the water were to be delivered by the jug or barrel, as the spring water now is, a much smaller quantity would suffice ; but in any public system of supply, where the water is distributed by pipes and can be had by opening a faucet, the quantity used would be much larger, and the unavoidable leak- age from the 1,600 miles of mains and the 150,000 house services required for distribution of the water would also be a very considerable amount, even if the greatest care were used in laying them. Considering these facts, it appears to me that six gallons daily per inhab- itant is the minimum quantity which should be estimated upon as a supply for drinking and cooking purposes, and this quantity will not be sufficient unless very stringent regulations are adopted to prevent the unnecessary use and waste of water. All the water should be supplied through meters, and the number and size of the faucets should be restricted, so that the opportunities for extrav- agant use and waste may be as few as possible. On this basis of six gallons per capita, the 12,000,000 gallons which the works of Newton, Waltham and Brookline can be expected to furnish will be sufficient for the needs of the whole metropolitan district until about the year 1920. It will then be necessary to obtain an additional quantity, and, although no careful study has been made, a general knowledge of the avail- able sources indicates that a limited supply may possibly be obtained in the upper portion of the Charles River valley, but that the most feasible source would be among the numerous ponds in the sandy soil in the vicinity of Plymouth. As before indicated, the utilization of the Newton, Waltham and Brook- line supplies for furnishing a supply of ground water to the entire metro- politan district will necessitate a distinct system of works, with pumping APPENDIX. 219 stations, reservoirs and an entirely distinct system of pipe distribution. No surveys have been made for such a system, but in order to furnish an idea of the cost of this system of supply the following approximate esti- mate has been made, based upon the general cost of obtaining ground- water supplies, with a pipe distribution system of the same length as that now in use, but of much smaller sizes. As the introduction of a duplicate supply will necessitate additional plumbing in all houses, entailing additional expense to every water taker, the cost of this work should be considered in the estimate. It appears to me that $40 per service is a fair allowance for the cost of this house plumb- ing, and this amount has been included in the following estimate : — Works for collecting 12,000,000 gallons per day, .... $1,200,000 Pumping stations and engines, 300,000 Reservoirs, 100,000 Force mains, . 300,000 75,000 feet of twenty-four-inch pipe, at $4, 300,000 25,000 feet of twenty-inch pipe, at $3.20, 80,000 116,000 feet of sixteen-inch pipe, at |2.40, 278,400 95,000 feet of twelve-inch pipe, at $1.75, 166,250 175,000 feet of ten-inch pipe, at $1.50, 262,500 235,000 feet of eight-inch pipe, at $1.20, 282,000 l,500,000feetof six-inch pipe, at $1 1,500,000 6,400,000 feet of four-inch pipe, at f 0.70, 4,480,000 150,000 service pipes from mains to buildings at $10, . . • . 1,500,000 150,000 meters, at $10, 1,500,000 House plumbing, 150,000 services, at $40, 6,000,000 $18,249,150 Add ten per cent., for oontingenoies, 1,824,915 $20,074,065 Taking into consideration the cost of maintenance, Including the depre- ciation of the 150,000 meters, the total yearly cost of maintenance has been estimated at $400,000, to which must be added the interest and sink- ing fund requirements on the cost of the works, which can be estimated at four and one-half per cent., or $903,332.92, making the yearly cost of a supply of ground or spring water for drinking and cooking purposes $1,303,332.92, or $1.30 for each inhabitant. A Supply op Water not Suitable for Drinking or Cooking, fob Mechanical, Manufacturing and Other Purposes. There are many purposes for which the public water supply is now used for which a water of quality inferior to that requu-ed for drinking and cooking would be equally good. This statement applies not only to the 220 APPEISIDIX. supply for mechanical and manufacturing purposes, but also to that part of the domestic supply which is not used for drinking or cooking ; but if the inferior water were introduced into houses, it would be very difficult if not impossible to so regulate the supply as to prevent its use for drinking purposes, with the consequent danger from typhoid fever and other kindred diseases caused by polluted drinking water. This difficulty is well illustrated by the experience of the city of Law- rence, as stated in the annual report of the State Board of Health for the year 1893 (page 559). As there stated, the city of Lawrence is now furnished with a supply of Altered water, but in some of the factories a supply of unflltered water from the canals is distributed to the sinks for washing purposes ; and, although notices have been posted to warn the employees against drinking the canal water, nine deaths from typhoid fever occurred among the mill operatives from October, 1893, to May, 1894, and in every case they had drunk the unflltered canal water. The total number of deaths in the city from this disease during the same time was seventeen. While it would not be advisable to use water of an inferior quality in places where there would be danger of its being used for drinking, there are many places where its use would be attended with little if any danger to the health of the community. For the supply of steam boilers, railroads and elevators, for street sprinkling and for many manufacturing purposes, an inferior water not suitable for drinking or cooking would be equally good. If Mystic Lake should be abandoned as a source of water supply for drinking and cooking, as has been suggested by both the Boston Water Board and the State Board of Health, it can be utilized at a comparatively small expense to supply water of the inferior quality for the purposes above mentioned. The railroads, sugar refineries and many of the large manufacturing establishments of the metropolitan district are so located that they can be supplied by a very short system of pipe distribution. The accompanying plan shows a proposed system of distribution from the Mystic Works, which is designed to reach many of the largest consumers of water for mechanical and manufacturing purposes in Somerville, Cam- bridge, Charlestown, South Boston and Boston proper. It is estimated that the consumers on these lines of pipe now use between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 gallons of water per day for purposes for which the inferior water might be substituted. Under present conditions of operation, the safe capacity of the Mystic Works in a dry year is about 7,000,000 gallons per day ; but a supply of 10,000,000 or 12,000,000 gallons can be obtained in most years, and when necessary the takers from these works could be supplied from the other sources, the distribution systems being connected. APPENDIX. 221 At seasons of the year when there is a surplus of water in the other sources of supply, and untU. the consumption of the district reaches the capacity of the present works, it may not be advisable to use the Mystic supply, as there will be an additional cost for pumping. The estimated cost of the mains is as follows : — From the Mystic distributing reservoir through Somerville and Charlestown, across the Charles River bridge and around the water front to Congress Street, 35,000 feet of thirty-inch pipe at |6.50, . $192,500 Through the city of Cambridge, across Essex Street bridge, through Commonwealth Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue, Albany Street, Lehigh Street, South Street, Kneeland Street, Federal Street and Atlantic Avenue to Congress Street, 42,400 feet of twenty-four-inch pipe, at $4, 169,600 Across Congress Street bridge, through Congress and A streets to Dorchester Avenue, 6,200 feet of twenty-inch pipe at $3.25, . . 20,150 Through Huntington Avenue, Boylston, Eliot and Kneeland streets, 9,000 feet of twenty-inch pipe, at $3.25, 29,250 Through Charles, Leverett, Minot, Lowell, Lancaster, Merrimack, Travers and Charlestown streets, 10,400 feet of twenty-inch pipe at $3.25, • 33,800 Siphons and bridge crossings, 75,000 $520,300 Add ten per cent., for contingencies, 62,030 $572,330 222 APPENDIX. Appendix ISTo. 7. SANITARY EXAMINATION OF NASHUA RIVEE WATER- SHED. The tables which follow contain the results of an inspection of the mills and villages upon the Nashua River water-shed, made by Mr. Chester "W. Smith. The mills which will be flooded by the proposed reservoir are not included in the tables. A summaiy of the results of the inspection is given below. Summary. Kind of Mill or Factorj'. Number of Mills or Factories. Operatives Employed. Woolen, Cotton, . Wood-working, Shoddy, Tannery, Emery wheel, Pottery, Grist and cider. 16 6 1 1 1 Total, 38 550 110 108 30 15 16 12 7 847 Number of villages in water-shed having a population of more than 100 10 Population in villages, 4,446 Population in villages, exclusive of those living within limits of proposed reservoir, 2,979 APPENDIX. 223 i tig II p2 «^s 11 ■a i m q II am p m oft >; p >. 1 ft^ ^ft II 3p.g 2|| 5 ax £ 5g p ft fq VX > ■P •P •p •e -p -p > ■P s ■So •a •c *c •a ■a -a -a ■a •£-< ■aft fu e^ ^ a< f^ P4 04 CM £ £ £ a &B • . . . . s o a p u, ,p 't4 Pi . • • . . . IB C9 ca 1 !2 c£ £« ■ 1 • • • • 1! m if o ^1 IS* s -S s s s 1^ ■as '!. 1 S5 o i i 1 1 1 $ 1 1 M ■ ■ ■ 1 II ' ' ' p 09 HH >1 i Is II a CS « • n- g Ii 4 g . 1 1 ■a 1 1 ^1 21 ■a — M a 1 a a 1 S"^ ►.-^ a s aa4J ^ < * 1 Pi 3 1 ■1^ 12 • s ; a a a ■ • a 1 o IB S m P u O s^ S gp. s « t F3 ^ o ?! 1 h* a •yf Ha i 1^ 1 1 a "2 1 1 1 OQ OS O 1 1 i /I